Earth 20
by Stargate Fan
Summary: Daniel and Sam are stranded off-world and are trying to return home. But what will they find when they return?
1. All Good Things Must Come To An End

**Chapter One: All Good Things Must Come To An End**

General Hank Landry scanned the mission reports on his desk and sighed. This job could be nerve-wracking in the best of times and it had been one very exhausting year. When he read the mission reports that SG-1 had written, he felt a great sense of relief. The fight with the Ori was finally over and he had hopes that he could now retire. He had pleasant day-dreams of a quiet life someplace warm, maybe Key West or Southern California. Then reality hit as he looked at all the work piled up in front of him. He heard a knock on the door-frame and saw Walter enter with a sheaf of papers that needed signatures.

"Can I get you some coffee, sir?" Master Sgt. Walter Harriman always seemed to know what General Landry needed and was usually handinghim something he required, even before he knew he required it.

"No, Walter, but thanks." He looked at the clock and said, "Can you contact General O'Neill and have him meet me in the control room?"

"Yes, Sir," Walter said just before leaving the room.

He rose and took a deep breath before walking down to the control room that overlooked the Stargate. As he stood and watched the technicians around him, he saw that the personnel were working efficiently and he was proud of each and every one of them. They really knew their jobs and they were willing to put in their best efforts to make the SGC a safe bulwark between the evil creatures who dominated so many planets out there and the people of earth who knew nothing about them - or the SGC for that matter.

General Jack O'Neill, the former SGC commander and previous SG-1 team leader, was on the base in an unofficial position. He'd planned on dinner out with his former team and the two members who'd joined latest, Colonel Cameron Mitchell and civilian Vala Mal Doran. He knocked on Landry's door and appeared with a concerned look on his face. "Hank, you asked for me?"

"Yes, Jack. I wondered if you'd seen any of the data from P22-718. Colonel Carter and Doctor Jackson approached me about staying there for a few more days. Carter got a strong energy reading but it looks like it's a few miles away and they'll need more time to investigate. Doctor Jackson is hoping it has something to do with ruins." Hank smiled and dramatically said, "He said he's got a 'feeling'," Hank made air-quotes around the word and grinned. "I told them I'd think about it. That was this morning. It's time for their scheduled check-in and I thought I would dial the gate address and have you talk to them yourself."

"Thanks," Jack said. "Of course, Daniel sometimes nags like a five-year old asking for ice cream so maybe this is just your not wanting to say 'no,' and handing that job off to me?" Jack grinned and watched the Commanding officer smile back.

Hank said, "He's hard to say 'no' to, Jack. And, he's usually right about things like this."

Jack rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and said, "I'm just sayin'."

"Point taken," Hank smiled and then said to the technician, "Dial it up."

A few minutes later, the gate opened and the computer screens came to life with an image of Doctor Daniel Jackson and Colonel Samantha Carter walking towards the camera mounted on the M.A.L.P.

"You're right on time," Hank said in greeting. "Report, Colonel."

"Yes, Sir," Sam said as she stopped before the camera. "It's pretty quiet here, sir. No sign of life outside of the local flora and fauna. No sign that anyone has been here for a long, long time."

Hank nodded and said, "But the energy readings might indicate more. Doctor Jackson, what do you think?"

Daniel shrugged and said, "There's no sign that anything ever happened here. No weapons left behind. No chains or other objects that indicate that slaves were here, like we've found on previous Goa'uld-occupied planets. No pictures drawn of any kind on cave walls or anywhere else for that matter. In fact, there's nothing here at all."

"Except the gate, which begs the question," Hank said.

"Yes. Why is the gate here if there's no sign of anyone having been here?"

Jack said, "So, Daniel, is it really necessary to stay there any longer?"

"Oh, hi Jack! " Daniel looked down and smiled. "I know." He shrugged and said, "It's just a feeling."

Carter looked up from her scanner and said, "Sir, I'm getting a good Naquadria reading." She looked back down at her scanner and turned slowly away from the camera.

Jack said, "Did you two plan this hoax so you could get a few more days on a quiet planet?"

"No, Jack, " Sam said. "I would never do that."

"Neither would I and I'm offended that you think I would!" Daniel looked hurt.

"Wouldn't be the first time, Danny."

"Yes it would."

"No it wouldn't." Jack crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I seem to remember P4Tsomething-or-other when we stayed an extra day to relax."

Daniel adjusted his glasses and unknowingly mirrored the same no-nonsense stance as he glared into the camera lens. "Yes, and as I recall, it was your idea because you saw a huge fish in that lake and wanted to try to catch it."

Jack paused in thought and then said, "Oh. Yeah, I guess you're right about that. But, you thought about it before I said anything. I could tell by the gleam in your eyes when you looked at those ruins. And, what are you doing, Carter? You're a Colonel now! You don' t have to go off-world and play with your doo-hickies. We've got a lab full of young nerds just waiting for a chance to do that!"

Sam looked shocked. "Are you implying that I'm getting to old for this?"

"NO! Of course not! It's just that you commanded the Atlantis expedition. For cryin' out loud, Sam! I'd have thought following Daniel around would be boring!"

Daniel shouted, "Hey!"

Sam smiled and said, "I actually missed this. It feels good to get back in the field again."

Daniel looked at her and said, "You don't seem too old, to me." He grinned as Sam whispered a 'thanks' to him.

"Come on, you two. I came all this way to invite you both and the rest of SG-1 out for dinner. My treat."

Sam smiled and said, "Really? Wow, that's very nice. But I have a feeling that this might be important. General Landry, Sir- I'm only talking about staying a couple of days just to make sure."

Daniel said, "We promise!" He grinned as Sam bumped his shoulder with hers.

General Landry looked at Jack who shrugged. "Okay, Son. You and Colonel Carter can stay for two more days and then I want you to return with a full report." He looked at the control room clock and said, "We'll check in with you in 12 hours."

"Thank you, General," Sam and Daniel said in unison.

Landry ordered the gate closed and then said, "Don't worry, Jack. Your kids will be fine."

"Yeah, famous last words. So, dinner at Angelo's then? I'm still buyin."

"Seven o'clock! I'll regale you with my latest fishing success," Hank said as he turned towards his office.

Jack headed for the commissary in hopes of finding Teal'c. What he needed was a good piece of pie and a visit with his favorite Jaffa.

0o0

Daniel and Sam watched the gate close and then he turned toward her and said, "So, which way?"

She shaded her eyes and pointed off towards the east. "It's coming from that direction. So-"

"Right." He smiled and then said, "I told ya he'd let us stay longer."

She grinned as they headed off in the direction she'd indicated. He used the remote to follow her with the M.A.L.P. and they were on their way.

0o0

They moved slowly because of the M.A.L.P's crawling-along speed so it still took them the rest of the afternoon to reach the place in question. A gradual rise in elevation led them to a dusty outcropping of boulders and trees which offered much appreciated shade and clear, cold water bubbling from a natural spring. Daniel lowered himself onto a large rock and dropped his pack at his feet. Sam took out one of her instruments and scanned the area for various things from air-quality to temperature and humidity readings.

"Everything okay?" He asked as he peeled the wrapper off an energy bar and scanned the area around them, keeping an eye out for danger but also trying to find signs of civilization, as usual.

She climbed up on top of a large boulder and slowly turned in a circle as she watched her scanner. "Naquadria, and lots of it, which is odd since there's no sign of it in the soil. It must be in a deep vein." She climbed back down, switched instruments and said, "Holy Hannah!"

He stepped behind her to look over her shoulder at the hand-held device. "What?"

"There's a very powerful energy reading coming from that field over there," she said as she pointed. They walked over to the site and looked at the dry soil and rocks scattered about.

"I don't see anything obvious," Daniel said as he turned around in a circle.

Sam quietly walked around the area with her scanner, slowly covering a piece of land. When she was finished, she shut the device off and stopped in front of Daniel. Her eyes were closed and he could see that she was concentrating.

He felt goose bumps rise on his arms. "A ship?"

"Maybe. Nothing big like a Ha'tak but It's precisely shaped. Man-made. "

"Are you sure? There's no sign of the Goa'uld, Asgard, Ori. Nobody." He waved his hands around as he turned in another circle. "No writings. No artifacts. Nothing."

She looked around at the horizon. "I know. But somebody buried something here." She looked at her watch and said, "We're supposed to report to General Landry in the morning. If it is a ship, we'll need help excavating it."

He smiled and said, "I love that word."

She smiled back and said, "C'mon. We should set up camp before nightfall."

Daniel nodded as he handed her the energy bar and reached for another one. As they ate, they looked around for a place to rest for the night and picked a spot by a stream.

Daniel had parked the M.A.L.P. on the highest spot near the gate and raised the antenna to transfer their gate transmissions. Bill Lee had replaced the batteries with a naquada generator so the thing could run almost indefinitely. It was nice not having to worry about the thing going dead. Now, hours away from the gate, they only had to wait for General Landry to call them in the morning and fill him in on their location.

0o0

"How far out are they?" General Landry looked up at the screen above everyone's heads in the control room and saw the images that the Hubble Telescope was sending back. A whole fleet of alien ships was detected but they were still so far out that nobody could count how many there were. Perhaps thousands of ships were on the way to earth and the President had called a meeting with the Joint Chiefs. General Landry had been preparing for a trip to the Pentagon but President Hayes asked him to stay and keep things going at the SGC.

The other world leaders, whom already knew about the Stargate Program, were preparing to tell their citizens the truth about a possible alien invasion. President Hayes was getting the latest information from NORAD and the SGC before he spoke to the people of the United States.

Colonel Paul Davis, liaison officer from the Pentagon said, "Right now, they're out on the edge of our galaxy, by the looks of it. It isn't easy to tell without the Asgard long-range sensors. The sensors are actually still out there but they are useless now that the Asgard were gone."

Hank said, "As you know, the Daedalus is docked at Atlantis, being refitted with upgrades. Not that it would do any good." He looked at Jack and said, "We need to start getting people moved to the Alpha Site."

Walter stepped up and said, "Here's a list of all the personnel who are currently off world." He handed him another paper and said, "This is the roster of all those who are currently here on the base. Sir, isn't this the same thing that happened when Doctor Jackson went to the alternate reality?"

Hank said, "No, Walter. That was when Apophis attacked and there were only two ships. This looks like hundreds, maybe thousands and we don't know yet if they pose a threat, but we have to assume they do."

Paul looked at Hank and said, "You're right, Sir. Unfortunately, there is no way we can fight this battle and win."

Jack looked grim and said, "I hate to say it, seeing as I'm always the optimistic one but the best thing we can do is retreat."

Hank scanned the rosters and said, "I know. The Alpha site has been preparing for this as a worst case scenario for some time. They have housing built and everything we can think of that people would need to start over. The Daedalus recently dropped off some farming equipment and the crew there just finished construction on a water treatment plant and a hospital."

One of the technicians turned and said, "General Landry, Sir, there's a call for you from the White House."

Hank took the phone and listened. Then he said, "Yes, Sir. I agree. Yes, Sir, I understand. Thank you, Mr. President." He hung up the phone and said, "It's time to get this show on the road." He reached for the phone and pushed the intercom number. "Attention! This is your commander speaking. This is not a drill. A large number of alien ships are gathering on the edge of our solar system and are probably on their way to earth, possibly to attack. I want everyone to remain calm and I've been ordered to begin 'Operation Firefly.' You have all drilled for this so I want you to each get your manuals and start the process. Again, I repeat, this is not a drill. We're going to Def-con Three." He put the phone back on the cradle and said, 'Gentlemen, we need to get upstairs to the briefing room and command this operation from there." He looked at Walter and said, "Dial up P22-718 and let Doctor Jackson and Colonel Carter know that they should head for the Alpha site. All our other teams have returned?"

"Yes, Sir," said Walter.

"Good. Let's get to work, people."

0o0

Jack paced back and forth in the control room, making the already nervous gate technicians even more edgy. He couldn't believe their rotten luck. The meeting in the briefing room had no sooner started when the gate activated and he heard "Unscheduled Gate Activation. Unknown Traveler," from the overhead speakers. That had happened yesterday afternoon and the 38 minute window had come and gone. Somehow, whoever it was out there that wanted to tie up the gate had figured out a way to keep it open indefinitely. The Iris was closed but he knew that there were some out there who knew how to bypass the iris and come right through. The Nox could do it. The Tollan were able to before they were wiped out. Anubis had done it but he was long gone. Who else?

The worst part of it was that they weren't able to contact Daniel and Sam. His two friends were stranded light years away from home and there was no way to communicate with them. Combine that with the fact that there was a group of aliens out there who were amassing a force that was growing each day. No wonder he couldn't sit still. He knew that protocol stated that they should go to the Alpha site if they couldn't get home. _'Oy! This is too much. Just too much.'_

Hank called Jack up from the control room and said, "Have a seat, Jack. I've talked to the President. He's going to address the nation at the same time our Allies will be speaking to their citizens. It is time to let the world know what's been going on here."

Jack sat and then nodded. He knew that that day would eventually come and he'd thought of all kinds of scenarios in which it might take place. He'd even thought about an alien invasion. He'd just hoped-to-god it would never come to pass.

Hank said, "He wants to put a positive spin on this so he's not going to start out by telling them that we might be attacked at any moment."

Jack steepled his fingers and said, "Good idea," somewhat sarcastically. He then scowled and looked away.

"He wants to start from the beginning and tell the public about how the gate was found in Giza in 1928, how nobody knew what it was until Doctor Jackson figured out what the symbols meant. He wants to talk about SG-1 and the positive contributions that the SGC has made to science and technology and the allies we have out there. Only after that, will he tell them about the danger we're in. But, he wants to emphasize that we may not really be under any threat. It could be a group who want to ally with us."

Jack said, "Yeah. Sure. Then, maybe he shouldn't tell them anything yet. What good will it do but panic everyone? He must think that's gonna go over just fine but I don't. I think we're in serious trouble here and there's nothing we can do about it." Jack rested his jaw on his fist and said, "Oy."

Hank sat down across from him and said, "I agree. But, we'll still have panic in the streets if any of the amateur astronomers out there see them coming. Frankly, I'm surprised nobody has but it won't be long before they do if the alien ships head this way."

Jack leaned back and said, "So, what's the plan? Is he going to enact Martial Law and call out the National Guard?"

Hank nodded. "He said he'll have to. He's sure there will still be widespread panic, despite his assurances that we'll have things under control."

"We won't though, Hank. And, we both know it."

They stood and looked hopelessly through the window at the gate which was still active, though the iris was closed. Klaxons had been shut off hours before but the emergency lights continued to bathe the room in their annoying, flashing pattern. "Pandora's box just opened and hope's escaped," Jack said. Hank nodded as they both gazed at what had become both a miracle and a nemesis in their lives.


	2. Nightmare or Reality?

Chapter Two: Nightmare or Reality?

Sam and Daniel waited patiently to hear from the SGC but the radios were eerily silent. After checking them, Sam said, "Maybe the antenna on the M.A.L.P. isn't working."

He looked over the connections and said, "It's hooked up right." He then used an instrument to check the generator and found it working just fine "Are there any teams scheduled to return? That might be tying the gate up."

"Two. That's probably all it is." She still looked worried and said, "If we don't hear from them by morning, we'll head back."

Their radios were quiet all night.

0o0

They packed up their gear and headed back at first light, both quiet for the long hike. When they finally reached the DHD, Daniel dialed but got nothing. Then he tried the Alpha site and got the same result. "It's just not working."

Sam got her tool box out of the M.A.L.P. storage compartment and crawled under the front of the base to the DHD. She pried off the panel and checked the different colored crystals and wiring but couldn't find anything either missing or added on. Everything looked normal, as usual.

Daniel leaned against the M.A.L.P. and said, "Okay, let's think this thing through. What reasons would there be to not get our gate to open?"

He could hear Sam's voice from underneath say, "A gate malfunction is the most obvious answer."

"That's happened before so we can't rule it out. What else?" Daniel had crossed his arms over his chest and his feet were about 18 inches apart. He looked like he was all business.

She glanced up and said, "Well, a foot-hold situation but we added fail-safes after the Re'tu incident so that wouldn't happen again. And you have to signal with a G.D.O. Iris-code so nobody could just walk through anyway."

"Not really." Daniel looked at her soberly. "If one of our personnel off world were taken prisoner and forced to open the gate-"

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "We're all trained for that and you know that none of our people would willingly give up the codes."

"The operative word here being, "willingly", Daniel said. "It's always possible that with enough torture, drugs or threats, it could happen."

Sam shook her head. "Yes, theoretically, but we're trained to withstand torture. "

"Okay, let's leave that one for now. What else?"

"The destruction of the SGC." She paled at the thought. After getting to her feet, she said, "That's been attempted before but again, we have an iris."

"Is there anything else you can think of?" He almost looked desperate and Sam felt awful that she couldn't come up with a better answer.

He looked past her at the setting sun. "We need to set up camp and I suggest that cave over there," he said as he pointed toward the side of a hill. "It looks like storm clouds on the horizon."

She turned and looked behind her and then sighed. "You're right. We can try again later."

Daniel used the remote to steer the M.A.L.P. and they headed over to the cave. After checking to make sure there weren't any creatures living there, they started gathering firewood to stack inside. They had quite a pile before they felt the first drops of rain and the wind pick up. They went inside and started toward the back when they saw a bright flash and heard a loud clap of thunder. Soon, the smell of rain drifted in and they heard the downpour outside.

It didn't take long before they had a fire going and MRE's prepared. Daniel leaned against the wall and wrote in his journal as Sam did an inventory of their supplies.

"Well, for a short trip, we're very well supplied. Between the M.A.L.P. and our packs, we have the tent, a tarp, two sleeping bags, a first aid kit that has enough in it to do minor surgery, if needed, including pain killers and antibiotics. Two canteens and a collapsible five-gallon water container with water purification tablets. Enough MRE's for a week and we can ration those if we have to. Two meals a day instead of three. Matches, candles, two thermal blankets, and two shovels. Flashlights and extra batteries and we each have a compass and our clothes, of course.

He looked at her and smiled. "We've got everything we need then."

"Yeah, I guess so." She sat quietly for a few moments and he watched the resignation form in her eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, Sam." He raised his eyebrows at her and she said, "You're right. It's probably a gate malfunction and they're working on it right now as we speak. Nothing to worry about."

She gave him a look that said, _'Yeah, easier said than done.'_

"I'm not saying we shouldn't worry. I'm just saying that we can't do anything more tonight so try to relax."

"You're right" she said as she poked the fire with a stick and put on another log.

He just smiled and then returned to writing in his journal. After a few minutes, he closed it up and set it aside. "I have a couple of books I brought with me. Would you like me to read to you?"

"What did you bring?"

"A book on astronomy. I like to compare alien skies with the ones above earth. That one's probably not something to read aloud but if you want, when the skies clear, we can check it out. And, I have a collection of short stories. What about you?"

"A few books. Autobiographies are my weakness. John Adams, for one. "She crawled into her sleeping bag and got comfortable on her side and said, "Let's start with the short stories. Hopefully, we'll be home before we get through many of those."

"Yeah, I hope you're right."

She smiled and listened as he began.

0o0

The fire had dwindled down and the sound of the rain outside was soothing. Daniel looked over at Sam and saw that she had fallen asleep at some point so he closed the book and put another log on the fire. Then he crawled into his bag, took off his glasses and laid there watching the flames.

He put up a brave front for Sam but he was afraid that something terrible had happened at the SGC and that they wouldn't be able to get home. _'Get a grip. Nothing's happened. We'll get home in the morning and laugh about it. Jack will yell at me for being stuck off world and we'll go out for dinner and tell them all about it.'_

He settled into his bag and closed his eyes. Before long, he was asleep.

0o0

_"People were running in the streets as huge bolts of fire from the sky zeroed in on buildings, making them explode and burn. Thousands lay dead or dying everywhere he looked. Fire trucks raced down boulevards but crashed into other vehicles or ran over pedestrians who scattered in panic. Large space ships landed in open areas and rounded up citizens and took them prisoner so that they could take them into slavery. Anyone resisting was shot. The System Lords didn't care as there were billions of people on earth to choose from. In New York, Central Park was cordoned off as Jaffa surrounded millions of people, killing anyone who tried to reason with them. Soon, the crowds were subdued from fear and shock. Ships landed and people were loaded in like cattle. All over the world, the same scene was taking place. London, Paris, Santiago, Tokyo, Sidney, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, Beijing, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen, Baghdad, etc. It took days and days but before long, either most of the people on earth were dead or taken into slavery. Very few were left behind._

Daniel sat up and gasped as he tried to get his breathing under control. Sam was kneeling next to him with a cold, wet rag wiping his face and calling his name.

"Daniel, can you hear me?" She looked worried and he was completely confused. "You've had a bad dream." She reached for his canteen and said, "Here, take a sip." He was shaking like a leaf and it worried her that maybe he'd gotten sick. He took a drink and she asked, "Better?" He nodded and noted that he was soaked through with sweat. "Here, get out of that bag and get into some dry clothes."

He tried to unzip his sleeping bag but needed her help to do it. She rummaged through his pack, finding a clean T-shirt, shorts and sweat pants for him. She turned her back while he changed but she could tell he was having trouble. When he was finished she insisted that he join her on her bag so that his could dry out. She opened hers up flat and laid next to him while he tried to calm down.

"Want to talk about it?" She brushed the hair from his forehead, noting that he wasn't running a fever and he didn't seem sick. His eyes were closed and his breathing had slowed a bit.

He rolled onto his side towards her and said, "It was like the alternate reality I was in a few years ago. The Goa'uld were attacking and the population was decimated. There was fire everywhere and bodies of the dead were lying all over the place. Ships were hovering over the cities, loading up prisoners and taking them away. All the major cities were emptied out."

She placed her hand on his shirt and could feel his fear as his heart pounded in his chest. Suddenly he sat up and crossed his arms on his knees and laid his head on them. "It seemed so real!"

She sat up and handed him his canteen. "It was just a dream. That's all. Besides, you know the Goa'uld are gone."

He nodded and though it took a few minutes, he finally settled down. He got up and started pacing. "What if earth has been attacked?"

"We can't know that until we hear from the SGC." She looked at her watch and said, "We're due to contact them in a few hours. Let's just wait and see."

He turned to her and said, "Okay, so what happens if we can't?"

"I've been thinking about that. I know it will take a while but I think we could dig up whatever it is out there. If it's a ship, we could fly it home."

"Okay, so you think it's smaller than a Ha'tak."

"It's hard to be sure because I can't see how deep it is."

"What if it's a puddle jumper. I can't fly one of those, Sam. And neither can you."

"That's where you're wrong. I had the Ascended gene therapy when I was commander of Atlantis. If it really is a puddle jumper, I can get us home."


	3. The Cat's Out of the Bag

**Chapter Three: The Cat's Out of the Bag**

The weather the next day was warm and windy and did a lot for drying out the ground from the previous night's rain. After walking back to the dig site, Daniel did a quick survey of the area and noted that the ground was covered with fine sand. He crouched down and sifted the soil through his fingers and then glanced at each direction. The area they were in was on the edge of a small plateau overlooking a river bed which was about a hundred yards to the north. He walked towards the drop off and saw that there were rocks and large boulders along the river but the area where they stood was mostly covered with fine dirt. He turned and looked at the place where the 'ship' was buried and then laid on the ground and looked at it again. '_There's a gradual rise at the center which could possibly be the top of the ship,' _he thought. He stood and dusted off his clothes and then circled the area again, keeping his focus on the center.

Sam sat on a low, flat rock and quietly watched all this. What did she knew about Daniel? He rarely talked about his childhood and when he did… well, no wonder he was the quiet, unassuming type. It took a beer or three to loosen him up and when you did, you would find out the most amazing things about him. Not all good, either. He'd been raised in the foster care program in the state of New York and that hadn't been easy. She didn't know how many times he'd been moved around but she knew it was more than a few. He'd started taking university classes before he graduated from high school at age fourteen. She knew he'd been a lonely child and had learned the hard way to avoid the school bullies. After university, he had worked on numerous digs-mainly in Egypt. He'd been to other places all around the world too but his main focus had been the Mid-East. She knew he was an expert on excavating and had earned a Master's Degree in Geology (among all his other degrees) while attending University. This man knew more things about dirt and rocks than she ever would.

She watched as he moved back up to the plateau, picked up a handful of sand and tossed it into the air, watching which way it went. Then he circled the area and did it again from various points. He turned with his back to the river and walked about fifty yards out and looked around. Again, he tossed the sand into the air and watched it. Then he nodded, dusted his hands off on his pants and began walking back towards Sam.

"I don't think anyone deliberately tried to bury anything here. I think that whatever this is, it's been sitting here for a long time. Maybe hundreds of years but it could be less. The prevailing wind seems to come from the south and I think whoever landed this thing got stuck here and the sand eventually drifted over it." He wiped his forehead with his handkerchief and said "It might have crashed but we won't know until we excavate it and that's gonna take a while. This raised area isn't huge but it looks like this is sitting in a kind of shallow bowl and the dirt settled over and around it. I don't think the top is too far down, maybe twenty feet. But, then twenty feet of dirt in an area this big is a lot of dirt. It's gonna take a few days."

Sam looked up at him and said, "Where should we start?"

He squatted down next to her and pointed to the center. "That area there. When we figure out what it is, we can dig out the door. Once we get all the sand off the surface, it should lift right out. That's if the engines work."

Sam nodded and smiled. "Indiana Jackson at his best."

He looked down and his hands and said, "Don't compare me with that guy. He had a horrible amount of bad luck." He looked at her and grinned.

Sam laughed and said, "Yeah, you wouldn't want to be anywhere close to him. There was always something exploding nearby!"

Daniel nodded and said, "It's getting close to lunchtime so I suggest we stop and put the tent up. That will give us a shaded place to rest and eat. The ground is still pretty wet so I suggest we begin this tomorrow after breakfast." He reached for Sam's hand and pulled her up.

After lunch was finished, they put their sleeping bags down on the tarp floor of the tent and laid on them. Sam picked up one of her scanners and said, "It's 95 out and with the how humidity, it wouldn't take much to dehydrate."

With his eyes closed, he said, "You're probably right. We can start before sun-up and work until late morning. Then rest until its cooler. That's how we used to do it on the digs I was on in the Mid-east."

Sam was glad they rolled up the sides of the tent to let in the breeze. Before long, they were both asleep.

That night, they ate their MRE's and sat watching the fire. Daniel was glad that there was plenty of dead wood around the area. He wouldn't need to cut any for a while. They had some time before it got dark to do some camp chores and take care of some private things and then they sat in front of the fire, both thinking quietly.

They were both tired from the long walk that morning and the emotional stress of wondering if the earth still existed, so they turned in early and crawled into their separate bags. This all felt normal as they had done this for years while on missions so they had a comfortable routine already well-established and soon they were asleep.

In the morning, Sam woke to the smell of coffee and sat up to look around, only to find that Daniel's bed was already rolled up and tucked away by the tent wall. It looked like the sun would be up soon so she dressed quickly, put on her jacket, grabbed a mug and went outside. She saw him sitting on a rock, writing in his personal journal. He looked over to her and smiled.

"Good morning."

"Mmm," She warmed her hands on the tin cup and noted that she could see her breath in the early morning air and decided to enjoy the cool air while it lasted. After taking her first sip, she sat down and looked around. There were birds calling in the distant trees but everything else was quiet except for the scratching of Daniel's pen on the paper. She closed her eyes to allow herself a moment of peace, knowing that they would probably be busy most of the day. The smell of wood-smoke was comforting as she watched it drift lazily towards the river.

The pen stopped and she looked up to see that he was watching her. "Sleep well?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah, for the most part. Did you?"

"Okay, I guess. I think I was too tired to dream." He picked up his mug and took a sip. "I dug a hole for a latrine by that tree over there," he said as he pointed to a tall, maple look-alike about thirty yards away. "The TP is in a plastic bag next to it."

"Thanks," she said. It was one of the first things they always did on missions which made this situation feel normal. It was practical and at the same time familiar. There were some short bushes in front of it that he'd draped a tarp around for privacy.

"How long have you been up?"

He looked at his watch and said, "About an hour."

She put her cup down and said, "We're going to be here a while, aren't we?" It was a sobering thought and one she wasn't happy with. She felt anxious to get this ship (hopefully it was a ship) dug up, repaired and on their way.

"We should have dialed someplace else." She looked at him and said, "Other than the Alpha site. Maybe the Nox planet."

He sighed and said, "I personally think we should just quit worrying about the gate. In order to get home, we need a ship. If this is one, and I really think it is, then we'll dig it out and get on our way."

She nodded. He was right and the best thing to do was stay calm. "You seem more resolved now than you did the other night."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you." He watched as she looked away and stared off into the distance.

"You're thinking too loud," he said. "Want to talk?"

She shook her head and then looked anywhere but him. She heard him move and then felt him sit down next to her and put an arm around her.

"Hey," he said. "Talk to me." His hand caressed her shoulder and he said, "Look at me."

She shook her head 'no' but he reached for her face and gently turned her towards him. "Please, Sam. It looks like you and I will be spending a lot of time together for the next while. You've been my friend from the first day we met. You know you can say anything at all." He squeezed her shoulder and continued, "Tell me what's bothering you."

She paused for a moment as she looked into his blue eyes and then said, "I'm fine. Just thinking about all this. It's a bit overwhelming. I'm worried and I'm trying really hard to be brave and believe but I'm scared."

"Me too." He pulled her into a momentary hug and then said, "C'mon."

He got up, tied a rag around his head and said, "I'm gonna fix some breakfast and then we'll get started." He saw how quiet she was and asked, "You gonna be okay?"

She shrugged and said "I'll be fine."

He nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. Look, let's just try to focus on one thing at a time. Today, we'll get started on this project. Maybe it won't take too long, especially once we can see exactly what we're dealing with. By the end of the day, we should know something. Okay?"

"Okay." She smiled and thought he had the right attitude.

"Good. Now, I need you to scramble some powdered eggs. You do know how to cook, don't you?" He gave her a sly grin and laughed outright when she threw a twig at him.

"Are you implying that I can't cook, Doctor Jackson?"

"No, Colonel Doctor. I've had dinner at your house but it usually involved something out of a box."

She chuckled a bit and said, "Well, if it means boiling water, I can do that." She smiled, shook her head and then helped fix breakfast. She was grateful for his teasing. Then thought about it for a moment and decided that if she had to be stranded off world, she was glad it was with him.

0o0

The sun was hot so they had to stop frequently for water breaks and at the end of the day they reached the 'thing'. Daniel was elated and wanted to keep going but Sam quietly reminded him that it would be there in the morning and they needed their rest.

They took turns with a bath in the stream (privately, of course) and dinner was a bit more upbeat and enjoyable than breakfast and lunch had been. Afterward, he read another short story from the book and even though they were tired, they looked at the night sky and tried to use the book to compare the constellations.

He was convinced that earth had been attacked and almost everyone killed, just like in his dream. She decided to be devil's advocate and tried to use logic to argue but after a while, she gave up and just decided maybe he was right and stopped arguing with him. The only problem was trying to figure out what they would do once they got home, if what he believed was true. And that was assuming that they could get home. Will those who attacked still be there? What would their world be like if almost everyone was dead? It was impossible to imagine.

0o0

The speech was scheduled for 8:00 in the evening. The Hubble telescope was showing that there was no movement towards earth. President Hayes was trying to remain cool but this was something that hadn't happened on earth in a few thousand years. Ra was the last one and he'**s **only affected Egypt, as far as anyone knew.

People around the world were going about their lives, not knowing that they might be invaded at any time by hostile creatures from outer space. Some were indifferent to the news that their nation's leaders from China, France, Great Britain, and more, were making some announcement. They apathetically ignored the government's pleas to watch as if it was just another news conference to disregard even though the networks had announced that the White House had requested that everyone that could should listen. Some sent their kids to bed and watched a channel that didn't automatically carry the news conference. Others were just heading off to work. Some were meeting their friends for lunch. It was just another ordinary day for most people on earth.

Henry Hayes knew that this was going to go over very badly but he was as ready as he could be, all things considered. He sat at his desk in the Oval Office and waited patiently as the technicians set up the lights and the TelePrompTer. He was given his cue, and then he spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the United States of America, I come to you this evening over an extremely serious matter; one that hasn't faced our nation, no less our world in thousands of years. I'm asking that each one of you listen to my words and keep an open mind. Let me begin at the beginning.

"In 1928, in the Giza Plateau in Egypt, a device was found buried deep in the sand by a team of archaeologists. [A picture of the Stargate was shown on the screen]. It was a large round ring made of an unknown mineral and it had 39 strange markings around its surface. It was sent to Area 51 for research purposes. Nobody knew what it was or what it was meant to do. For years, our best scientists went over it with a fine tooth comb but to no avail.

"In 1994, a young man- a very intelligent man by the name of Doctor Daniel Jackson [Doctor Jackson's picture was shown on the screen] was asked to look at the device and see if he could discover its purpose. Two weeks later, he had the answer. He deciphered the strange symbols associated with it and theorized that the device was a transportation portal- one that could be used to send someone through space to another planet. Now, I know that this sounds like some strange movie or television series that you'd watch on the Syfy channel but I assure you, it's true. With his help, the device, which he translated to mean 'Stargate' was turned on and eventually he and a group of our bravest, led by a Colonel Jonathan (Jack) O'Neill [O'Neill's picture was shown on the screen] went through it to a planet named Abydos that was closest to us in the gate system and found that it was inhabited by humans who had originally come from earth thousands of years ago. They found that these people had been enslaved by an alien being that was posing as an Egyptian God called Ra. This team helped liberate the people there by destroying this alien impostor. The team then returned to earth but one man stayed there and lived among their people. Doctor Daniel Jackson was welcomed into their homes and married one of their women.

"Eventually, Stargate Command was formed, led by General George Hammond [General Hammond's picture was shown on the screen] The original team members returned and were reunited with Doctor Jackson and his wife and family. While there a group of aliens named the Goa'uld attacked. Doctor Jackson's wife, Sha're [Sha're's picture was shown on the screen] was kidnapped, along with her brother Skaara and many others. During the attack, one of the soldiers was able to see the 'gate' address. They returned to earth where a team was assembled. They were accompanied by others, including one Captain Samantha Carter [Carter's picture was shown on the screen]. Colonel Carter is a brilliant astrophysicist and had worked on the Stargate project for two years before Doctor Jackson was able to discover the gate's purpose.

"Colonel O'Neill's team went to this planet, named Chulak to try to find the enemy who kidnapped Doctor Jackson's wife and the others They were unable to rescue Sha're and her brother but they rescued many other people there who had been held prisoners and eventually we were able to send them to their own worlds. And yes, there are other inhabited worlds. For the last thirteen years, we have gone to hundreds of these other inhabited planets and have made many allies against the Goa'uld and the Goa'uld were eventually completely destroyed. Unfortunately, Doctor Jackson's wife died during that time but he continued on in the program to help liberate many thousands of people from slavery. He truly is one of our heroes.

"In the meantime, we have also made some other enemies, which over time we have also destroyed. You can be proud of the many men and women of the SGC who have worked diligently to protect this planet from those enemies.

"Now, comes the difficult part. Recently, it has come to our attention that a large armada of alien ships is gathering on the edge of our galaxy. So far, they have posed no threat. We do not know who they are or if they even plan on visiting us. They may be new allies come to say hello. In light of this fact, we, the leaders of this world who know of the Stargate, have decided to tell you all about this so that you would not be surprised if or when they arrive.

"Now, I understand that this is a lot to take in. We also know that some people will be frightened and some may panic. We did not do this to alarm you and we want to assure you that we will do everything we can to keep you safe. There is no reason to believe that these visitors have any harmful intentions.

"In order to keep you safe, I will be enacting Martial Law and calling out the National Guard. There will be a curfew from sunset to sunrise. Anyone who is listening to this and wants to prey on their neighbors by looting and destroying private property will be arrested. If you stay in your homes, you should remain safe.

"There has been a television special produced that will explain everything I've talked about tonight. I've asked that it be aired immediately following this program. I am sure that you will hear from me in the near future about further developments. Good Night and God Bless America."

The announcement ended and after the lights dimmed and the microphone was removed, Within seconds, the phone started ringing and it didn't stop.

A few minutes after the leader's speeches, chaos ensued. In many countries, people were running through the streets screaming and looting. In the United States, whole battalions of the National Guard were called up and sent out to keep the peace. Surprisingly, there were few protests and the Guard attributed it to shock. Nobody could believe what they'd heard.


	4. Lift Off

Author's Note: I've loaded this chapter before but there were no paragraph breaks. Let's see what happens this time!

Chapter Four: Lift Off

The next day, after another disappointing trek to the gate and back, Sam and Daniel had lunch in the shade by the river and then set to work. By early evening they had the top surface of the ship completely uncovered and they discovered that it was a Tel'tak, which was a smaller Goa'uld cargo ship.

That night, while they were looking at the stars, he asked, "Do you know where we are compared to our allies?"

"I think so." She took him by the hand and led him down to the water where the light from the fire wouldn't interfere with their stargazing. His hand was warm and she reluctantly let go to point out where she thought earth was, even though it wasn't visible from where they were. Then she pointed to another spot in the sky and said, "That one is where P3X-797 is. And I think we should go there by gate first and see if we can ask for some supplies. I'm sure they'll help us out. They might even have news of earth."

He smiled. "It will be nice to see Tuplo again."

The moonlight was bright enough for her to see the blue of his eyes and the grin on his face. She felt a bit like teasing when she said, "Oh, really? Are you sure that it's not his daughter you want to see? What was her name again?" Melocia, wasn't it?"

Daniel was suddenly embarrassed at the memory of his encounter with the young woman. He never knew he had it in him to act like a Neanderthal (literally) and was horrified when he'd been told by his friends how he'd been behaving. "Yes, go ahead and tease. I recall you've had some alien crushes. Let's see, there was Abu."

Sam laughed at the memory. "Oh please, he was just a boy. Besides, he only wanted to trade me for the rival chief's daughter."

He picked up a stone, threw it into the water and said, "Oh Yes, Turghan's daughter, Nya." He turned back towards her and said, "And as I recall, Turghan had quite a thing for you, too." He grinned as Sam laughed.

"Only because he considered me his property. He was beyond belief!" She smiled as she idly threw small sticks into the water. He nodded. "That's how the Shavadai culture works. The men are hunters and fierce warriors. The women are there to cook, clean and have babies. In some earth cultures, it's still very much the same."

"I would have found a way out eventually."

"I know." He smiled at her and thought, _'I bet you could, too.'_

She headed back towards the fire and said, "Okay, since we're keeping score-"

He raised his eyebrows and said, "Are we keeping score?"

She laughed and said, "Yes! Who's turn is it?"

"Mine, I think," he said as he lowered himself to the ground and sat back against a log.

"No, mine. You brought up Turghan," Sam said.

"Right."

"Okay, let me think. What about Lya?" She smiled at the thought of the petite woman with the crazy hair.

"No." He shook his head. "She's just a friend."

She gave him a glance and said, "Yeah, but I think she likes you."

He shrugged and said, "Maybe. But she likes everyone."

"Yeah, but I think you're special to her."

"Only as a friend. It could never be anything more than that." He looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "Nareem."

Sam smiled as she remembered her Tollan friend. "He was such a nice guy."

He nodded said, "Yeah, he seemed decent enough."

She looked at him and decided to say it." Sha're."

"Definitely." He grew quiet while thinking about his late wife. Would he get upset? And yet, it was so obvious that to leave her out would be a bigger faux pas. Sam watched his face and then regretted that they had started this thread of conversation.

He saw the pained look in her eyes and said, "Don't. I know what you're thinking so I'm telling you right now, don't." The intensity of his gaze made her falter.

She looked down and said, "Okay." _'Why? Why did I bring her name up?'_

But Daniel continued with his enthusiastic response and said, "Sha're was wonderful and I never imagined that I could be married to someone like her. But I did have her for a year before she was taken and I will never forget that." He paused a moment and then went on. "She's been dead a long time, and I've moved on. I don't have that awful ache inside when I think about her now."

"I'm glad." Her relief was palpable as she rubbed his shoulder in relief.

"Me too," he said with a smile. "Me too."

0o0

Daybreak found both of them at the dig site where Sam was eventually able to get the door of the ship open. The faint but unmistakable odor of human decay wafted out of the ship so Sam said it would be a good idea to let it air out for a while. An hour later, they went inside and after a short search, they found the bodies of six Jaffa who had been long dead. Daniel examined them and said, "They probably died on impact." He pointed to one body in the chair. "See how this one is slumped over the controls?" He turned to indicate others on the floor. "And these two were probably standing back by the wall. The three in the cargo-hold probably never knew what hit them."

They carefully carried the desiccated remains outside and buried them, giving them as much dignity as they could. Daniel still believed that the Jaffa were falsely indoctrinated and was glad that so many had rebelled against the false gods that had oppressed them and turned towards forging their own nation.

When they were finished, Sam looked at the controls and said, "I'm not even going to try to start this thing until I've given it a once over. It might take a bit so if it's okay, you can stow our gear in the compartments along the wall."

Daniel nodded and loaded all their things onto the M.A.L.P. and maneuvered it into the cargo-hold. He explored the inside of the ship and found a small kitchen and a bathroom. He went through cupboards and threw out most of the contents. Then he used a wet rag to wipe down all the surfaces. He looked over at the front console and saw Sam's feet sticking out from beneath it. A tool box that she'd taken from the M.A.L.P. was open and various tools were on the floor within reach of her hands. He could hear her muttering and smiled. She seemed just like all the mechanics he'd ever met. She could probably fix anything that she came across with a stick of gum, duct tape and a car battery- his very own McGyver to the rescue. After storing their meager belongings away, he went to the small room where there were bunks and put his and Sam's things away. Then he returned to the flight deck.

He heard her disembodied voice yell out, "I'm sure I can get this thing started. I want you to stand clear outside so that I can shut the door and then I'm going to try to lift it out of this hole and set it on the ground over by the trees."

He stepped outside and stood back to watch as the engines hummed to life. The ground under his feet started to vibrate and the ship started to lift out of the hole. Sand and small clumps of dirt danced across the top and sides as Sam slowly set it down about fifty feet away. The door opened and she stepped out and greeted him with a hug and a big smile. He stood next to her with his arm around her shoulder and looked at this big ugly thing that would be their home for a while. After cleaning up their campsite and putting out the fire, he squared his shoulders; followed her inside and shut the door.

0o0

The first thing they did was head for the nearest large body of water and fill the water tanks. This ship had been equipped so that it could carry plenty of drinking water and it had a filtration system to keep the water clean.

While the pumps were working, he asked, "How long do you think it's going to take to get home?" Daniel looked around him and remembered his trip with Jacob Carter when they'd returned from the Goa'uld summit in which Daniel had posed as Lord Yu's Lotar. It saddened him that Jacob was gone but he remembered the long talks they'd had and he learned a lot about Sam in the process.

Sam was sitting on the floor just inside the flight deck typing on the computer keyboard. "According to the computer-"

Daniel watched as her face looked troubled. "Sam? Tell me the truth."

She sighed then said, "We'll have to stop along the way and replenish supplies, though I haven't figured out exactly where yet. I know of some allies that will probably be willing to help us." He crouched down in front of her, forcing her to turn to look at him. "I was hoping that the computer was wrong. I mean, we have to take into consideration the route we'll take and the planets we need to avoid. And that's if we don't run into anyone who's out to get us. But, if we don't have too many distractions-" She stopped to look at his hands as his thumb was making little circles on the top of her hand. Then she looked up and said. "I think it will take about a year. And that's with the hyperdrive engines."

He stared into her eyes for a moment and then nodded his head. "Okay."

"I'm sorry," she said. He gave her an incredulous look and said, "Whatever for? You haven't done anything wrong!"

"I can't think of anything else to do. I've recalculated the numbers over and over and no matter what I try, I still can't get us home any quicker."

He smiled and said, "I'm sure you've done everything you can. Hey, what's to worry about? Can we fly cloaked?"

"Yes, providing the cloak works. We have to check it and I hope it does 'cause I'd feel much safer."

"So, we have a ship that can fly at hyperspeed, plenty of space to move around in, which we wouldn't have had with a jumper. Food, water and good company. Who could ask for more?"

She smiled back. "Well- when you put it that way-."

"We're gonna be fine, Sam." She sighed and said, "I know. It's just so much to take in." "I know."

He squeezed her hand and said, "Day at a time, Sam. Day at a time."

0o0

They left the lake and within a few minutes they landed near the gate. Daniel dialed home with the same results so he dialed it up again and within a few seconds, they were on P3X-797. Daniel dialed earth again from Tuplo's planet. He was anxious to hear Sgt. Harriman's voice but there was no signal from the SGC. So, they headed towards the plaza and within a few minutes, groups of people were headed their way, most of them smiling as they recognized Daniel and Sam.

Tuplo stepped forward, bowed and said, "Welcome! It is such a nice surprise to see you." He peered past them and then looked at Daniel and said, "Are not General O'Neill and Teal'c with you?"

Daniel bowed and said, "Umm- no they're not. They're back on our planet, we hope. We believe that there's something wrong on Earth but we can't use the gate to get home. There seems to be some sort of malfunction."

"Oh dear," Tuplo said. "I do hope that everything is all right on your world."

"So do we," Daniel said. "We have a favor to ask."

"Anything you ask is yours, Doctor Jackson. You have helped us out tremendously by lifting the curse and bringing our people home. We owe you a great debt."

Sam said, "No, you really don't owe us anything. We have a ship on the planet we were on but we need supplies to make the journey home. Food mostly."

"Oh yes! We would be honored to provide you with whatever you need. I will tell the temple steward and he will make sure that you have whatever you would like."

Daniel bowed his head politely and said, "Thank you, Tuplo. That is most kind of you."

They were each given a private room with warm water pools to bathe in and their clothes were taken away to be washed and dried. After cleaning up, they dressed in robes and were allowed to rest. After dinner, Daniel and Sam visited with Tuplo and his wife Leedora, Melocia and her husband and their daughter, and many others who had been helped by Doctor Fraiser and the people from the SGC.

In the morning, they were escorted back to the Stargate. Sam said her goodbyes and stepped through. Tuplo's people helped pass cartons through the gate to her where she set them aside and waited for him to come through.

When everything was through the gate, Daniel grasped Tuplo's hand and said, "I hope to visit with you again sometime."

"As do I, Doctor Jackson." They both bowed to each other and then Daniel left.

When he stepped through the gate, he saw all that Tuplo's people had given them and was almost speechless. "I didn't realize it was this much! They were handing it through while I was talking to Tuplo." He scanned the cartons and said, "Wow! They've thought of everything. Even toilet paper!"

Sam laughed and said, "It's amazing, isn't it? Do you remember the debriefing we had after that mission? Teal'c said they were pretty angry when he asked them for a sample of their blood. Poor Teal'c. He hadn't been with us very long and here he was being asked to step in and get blood samples from a culture that the Goa'uld would have easily enslaved and he would have been in charge of enslaving them. How Janet got him to do it, I'll never know."

Daniel sat down on a boulder and wiped his brow with a handkerchief. "I know. I was there, at first, remember? Janet was desperate and she wasn't taking 'No' for an answer. General Hammond was ready to set the self-destruct if we couldn't find a cure. I can't imagine having that decision to make."

Sam sat down next to him and said, "Thank God it all worked out. Teal'c came back with the blood samples but from what I heard, he was horrified that he'd lost you on the dark side."

"All because of my stupid sense of chivalry." Daniel looked away and sighed.

"Hey," Sam patted his shoulder. "You weren't wrong to try to help Melocia. You couldn't have known that it was a trap."

"I should'a listened to Teal'c and just left her there. We would have gotten the samples and gone home. Because of me, he might have been taken prisoner, too. And then he wouldn't have gotten the blood samples and you'd have all been dead. And, I would have been stuck on that planet behaving like a cave-man!"

Daniel looked upset and she rubbed his back as he scowled. "But, that's not what happened! You were pretty amazing. When we came through the gate and saw that you were sitting next to Melocia, protecting her- I think, from the others." Sam saw him blush and said, "You didn't do anything wrong, Daniel! Somewhere, deep inside, you were trying to do the right thing by helping her."

Daniel looked at her in horror. "Do you really believe that? Good god! I was probably thinking of raping her! I had no morals, Sam. There were no good intentions in my head, believe me!"

"I don't believe that!" Sam got up and walked a few feet away. "You're not like other men, Daniel. You're good and decent. I've seen all kinds and believe me, you're different from all the rest. What do you remember about it?"

He didn't know what to say. He barely remembered anything of the incident and she wanted details? "I don't remember. Not really. I have vague impressions of violence but that's about it."

"That's it? Nothing else?"

He sat quietly for a moment and then said, "I do remember that after they attacked me, I was dragged back to their camp and kicked around a bit. One guy in particular kept trying to hit me with a big stick. They wouldn't let him, though." He looked away and took a deep breath.

"Have you ever talked about this with anyone?"

"McKenzie. He tried to tell me that I had issues. No kidding. I don't need a shrink to tell me that."

Sam nodded and then said, "What else?"

Daniel ran his hand through his hair and sighed again. "I tried to get away but every time I tried, they beat me."

Sam sat down next to him and said, "I remember that Janet kept you in the infirmary for a few days, just to make sure you were okay. One day, you were sitting on the bed with your back to me. There were bruises. It looked... painful."

Daniel nodded and took her hand. "You were recovering from that knife wound, too."

"It was minor compared to what you went through." They both were silent for a bit and then she said, "Let's get this stowed away. I want to get out of here." He nodded and they both spent the afternoon figuring out where everything should go. Then, they left.


	5. Homecooking and Politics

Chapter Five: Home Cooking and Politics

Sam started the engines and soon the cargo ship rose into the air at great speed through the clouds and into the deep dark of space. She held the bug-like control in both hands, looked over her shoulder at Daniel and said, "What I need you to do is go through your list of gate addresses and start making a list of planets or moons that we can stop at."

"Already done," he said as he handed Sam an open notebook and pointed to a page with dots, numbers and lines on it. He said, "I compiled a sky chart so that we know where each stop is. I've mapped a route home. There are also some places that we can stop at in case of emergency and I marked those with a star."

She looked surprised. He shrugged and said, "I have a journal with notes on each one. Whether or not it's inhabited and if so, by whom and what language they speak; water or food available; climate. Things like that."

Sam was awed by the fact that he got so much information together in such a short amount of time. "This is great! It's just what we need." She looked at the dialing controls and said, "Please, do the honors."

He stood next to her and dialed up their first stop. They had decided to head for Edora, since it was the closest gate.

"We'll try dialing home from there," Sam said. After she activated the hyperdrive, they sat down and she glanced at his notes. "I see we're stopping by the Nox home world and the new home for the Hak'tyl. The Hak'tyl? Are you sure Ishta won't mind. They're not used to having men around."

He continued going through his address book as he spoke, "I think that with you along as chaperone, they won't mind."

She took a moment to give him a appraising look and said, "Well, now that I think about it, I don't think they will mind, in any case. In fact, they might really be glad to see you." Sam laughed. "I'm sure of it."

He looked up and saw the smile on her face. "What do you mean?" He looked confused for a moment and then the light went on in his head and he blushed. "Well, on second thought- maybe we should skip that one."

"Don't worry, I'll defend your honor," Sam said.

He gave her a look and then said, "Hey, I'm a man and I can be as crude as any other guy out there but I can behave like a gentleman if they can behave themselves, too."

"And if they don't?" Sam asked.

"I'll lock myself in the ship and wait until it's time to leave." He gave her a goofy grin and then returned to his work.

"You could never be crude."

He stopped and looked at her with a serious expression. "I'm not a saint, Sam." He remembered the dream that Shifu gave him and how it felt to have all that control. One push of a button and he'd vaporized Moscow! He turned away and continued writing in his notebook.

"I didn't mean to imply that you're perfect. I mean that you're a decent guy and people -even total strangers - seem to know that from the start. They trust you." He didn't say anything but stared off into the distance, as if in deep thought. To change the subject, she turned towards her computer and said, "I'm glad I used the M.A.L.P. interface to recharge the batteries on this laptop. I have a feeling that besides the books I brought, I'm going to be playing a lot of solitaire."

He said, "Good thing I borrowed some books from Tuplo's library."

"You can read their books?"

"Yeah, they've got a lot of history books. Tuplo said I could take some of the copies I wanted as long as I returned them at some point."

Sam said, "I hope we get back someday so that you can."

0o0

Sam went through some of the cartons and decided that they needed to do another inventory. So, Daniel ripped a page out of his notebook and they started making a list. They had plenty of dried meats, vegetables and fruits. There were also plenty of stone jars of wine and water, wheels of cheeses, various kinds of nuts, beans, rice and pots of spices. Some lanterns, wicks and fuel were added to the list along with two cots, some blankets, and two pillows.

"This should get us by for a while. At least when we get to Edora, we won't have to cause them any hardship by feeding us." Daniel remembered that the Edorans had enough to get by but not much else. "Maybe we can see if they need any help with anything." "It won't hurt to ask.

0o0

Colonel Cameron Mitchell had been visiting his parents the evening the President made the announcement about the Stargate. They turned down the volume on the set after the documentary was finished to talk about the implications of what was happening.

His mother looked at him and said, "Honey, is that what you've been working on?"

He looked down and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am, I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you, it being Top Secret and all."

"I see." She got to and went into the laundry room to put a load of clothes into the dryer.

His dad said, "I understand, son. Your mom is a little upset but she'll get over it. It's not like you had any choice in the matter. You had a job to do and part of that was to keep quiet about the things you did. Can you tell us about it now?"

"I suppose so. Maybe I should call my commanding officer to make sure." He went out onto the front porch and put in a call to General Landry. It took a while but eventually he got confirmation that he could discuss it with his parents. "Do you need me to return to the base, Sir?"

Landry said, "Not yet. I'm guessing that your folks might want you to stick around for a day or two. The alien ships aren't moving yet so you have time."

"Thank you, Sir." Cam hung up and watched as his mother brought a load of towels into the living room. As she sat on the couch and began to fold them, he started to tell them about the SGC. "I never met Dr. Fraiser, the CMO at the SGC that you saw on the documentary. I never worked under General Hammond, the first SGC Commander but I understand he's one of the reasons that we've fought off the aliens, so far. This all started for me three years ago when my plane went down in Antarctica. I was with a squadron that was in a battle with the Goa'uld. I was shot down and you know all about my recovery and all that. But, that's how I got injured."

His mother exclaimed, "You mean they attacked earth?" She dropped the towel onto the floor and covered her mouth with both hands.

He saw her start to shake and went over to sit next to her. "We beat them, Mom. We can beat them again."

She stood up and shouted, "Cameron Mitchell! Don't you dare promise me something that you can't possibly know to be true! It sounds like there's more going on here than you're telling us and frankly, right now, I'm not sure I want to hear it!" She picked up the laundry basket and headed upstairs.

Cam silently watched her go and then put his elbows on his knees and hung his head. "I'm sorry."

"I know, son. Why don't you and I go on out to the barn and you can tell me more about it while we do the chores. I need to shut everything up for the night."

Cam followed his dad out and told him about some of the fantastic things he'd seen and done in the last few years. His dad was enraptured with the tales and asked a lot of questions which helped Cam feel like his dad didn't feel upset with him. When they went into the house, his mother had already gone to bed so Cam said good night and watched his dad climb the stairs. He was too wound up to sleep so he turned the TV on low and watched all the special reports, using the remote to bounce from channel to channel. Finally, sometime around 2 AM, he fell asleep on the couch. Just before dawn, he woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of his parents talking quietly in the kitchen. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, wishing he'd gone to bed instead of sleeping on the couch. He hadn't slept well and was worried about his mother's reaction to the news. As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw his mother fixing breakfast and his father had just gone out to milk the cows.

She turned when she heard him and said, "Coffee's done if you want some. How many eggs would you like?"

He paused for a moment, wondering about her mood. "Two," he said. "I'll make the toast."

She nodded and then went over to the small TV on the counter and turned on the morning news. Good Morning America was on and George Stephanopoulos was interviewing someone from NASA about the Hubble telescope and how it worked. Reports of wide-spread rioting were common but the farm was far enough off the beaten path that they weren't too worried. His mother returned to the stove and cracked the eggs into the pan. It seemed like another normal morning at the farm, though he knew it never would be a normal world again. "Mom, I want to say I'm sorry. I couldn't tell anyone, and I hope you know I never meant to hurt you by keeping it from you."

She turned and hugged him tight. "I know. Your dad and I talked and we don't want what might possibly be our last days on this planet to be spent with hurt feelings. You did the right thing and I love you, no matter what."

He held her and said, "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

They hugged for a moment and then she said, "If I don't turn those eggs over, they're gonna overcook." She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she went back to the stove.

His dad came in and set an bowl of eggs on the counter to be washed later. He saw that they'd made up and smiled. No matter what, they would be okay. Cam talked to General Landry who told him to stay put until further notice. He was safer there and Hank knew that it might be called to testify at hearings he was sure were going to take place. It would be easier for him to get there from Kansas than from Colorado Springs, considering all the rioting going on around the mountain.

0o0

Within a week following the announcement, some order had been restored in the U.S. but there were still pockets of unrest around the country and the National Guard was busy trying to keep the peace. A Senate Committee hearing was convened, just like Hank thought, and many people were called to testify. President Hayes, the Joint Chiefs, General O'Neill, General Hammond, General Landry and leaders from the Pentagon and Area 51 were in attendance. One by one, they were sworn in.

General Hammond testified first and explained how he had been given the command of the SGC. Senator Ramirez asked, "General Hammond, would you please tell us how many people have died under your command since the Stargate was opened?"

George looked at him and said, "I don't have a definite number in front of me, Sir."

"For the record, over a thousand men and women have died because of the Stargate Program."

"If I may say, Senator," George said, "That number doesn't even come close to how many people we've saved because of our actions against our enemies. Thousands, heck - millions of people owe their lives to the Stargate program. We've killed System Lords whom enslaved planets full of people. They're free now because of our actions. And over six billion of earth's citizens owe their lives to them too."

"The people on other planets are not our concern." Ramirez glowered at George and then said, "They hardly count."

General Hammond's face turned red and he barely kept his voice under control when he said, "I don't agree! Every person counts. We abolished slavery here on earth just over a century ago. Should we leave others enslaved just because they're on another planet? That would be morally wrong and you damn well know it!" He sat down and his aide reached for the water pitcher to pour him a glass of water. The young captain was worried about the General. He'd never seen him so angry. The crowd reacted to General Hammond's reply with nods of approval and some clapped loudly. One group in the balcony actually cheered.

Senator Tillman, The Chairman of the committee banged his gavel and said, "Order! Order I say!" He looked at General Hammond and said, "There will be no more outbursts!"

The questioning went on each day and General Hammond seemed to wilt under the intense scrutiny. He kept his temper in check but still was defensive of his work at the SGC and those working under him.

On Monday, the hearing convened and George was asked about Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter. Senator Rosenthal wanted to know about Dr. Jackson's academic history.

General Hammond chuckled and said, "Well, that young man was scoffed and ridiculed but it turned out he was right all along. Colonel Carter tried opening the gate for two years and it only took Doctor Jackson two weeks to figure it out." By noon, George was finished testifying and left the hearing room with his friends around him. They were going to have lunch in one of the private rooms with a catered meal. As they walked down the hall, George suddenly clutched his chest and gasped audibly. As he started to crumble to the floor, Jack yelled for someone to call an ambulance and soon he was whisked away with the others following. He was soon hospitalized and wasn't expected to survive the massive heart attack.

He asked to speak with Jack and when his friend reached his bedside, he said, "Find Daniel and Sam!"

"I will, George. I promise. The nurse said I'm not too upset you so calm down."

George lifted the oxygen mask a bit and struggled to get the words out, "They won't tell me anything so I'm taking that to mean that I'm dying."

Jack tried to protest but George continued, "Don't leave them stranded Jack! You know where they are! Go get them!"

Jack assured him that they would do their best and left the room so that his family could be with him. Generals Landry and O'Neill, along with President Hayes, and others from the Pentagon, were in the hallway when George's daughter exited the room weeping. He was given a hero's funeral at Arlington while others tried to brand him a traitor. Protesters were held back at the cemetery and Jack wept quietly as he walked around the grounds. Landry found him and led him back to the limo to return to their hotel.

"I promised George that I would find Daniel and Carter but I don't know how. We don't have any ships available."

"I know," Hank said. "We never heard back from the Daedalus and the Odyssey is grounded until further notice. If we hadn't been forced to take the gate off line, I could just send you out to get them but nobody seems to care that we have two of our best out there stranded on another planet. Until the President gives the go-ahead, we can't use the gate."

"By the time he gives the go-ahead, it might be too late." Jack ran his hands through his white hair and slumped back into the seat.

Landry looked grim but determined and said, "We'll figure something out, Jack. We always do."


	6. From Naquadah to Farm Implements

Chapter Six: From Naquadah to Farm Implements

The Senate Sub-Committee hearings continued on the following Monday. Jack was next to testify and sat at the defendants table in his dress blues and tried to remain calm as his fingers drummed a beat on the table top. One of the senators gave him a scathing look so he placed his hands on his lap and tried to keep still. After squirming a bit, he grabbed the pencil and started drawing doodles on the margin of the report in front of him. He felt the sweat trickle down his back and under his arms, despite the air-conditioned room. _'I should have figured that this would happen when the program became public.'_

He turned and caught the eye of Richard Woolsey seated behind him and gave a nod. Richard was scheduled to testify sometime in the next few days. He mused how things were different with Woolsey since being in Atlantis. There's nothing like walking in another man's shoes to see things from a different perspective. Richard had returned with a bit more compassion than when he left and Jack had enjoyed lunch with him more than a few times when they were both in D.C.

After Jack was sworn in, the questions began.

Senator Packard said, "General Hammond stated that you were on the first mission through the Stargate. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I took a team through to Abydos, the nearest planet in our galaxy,"

"Can you tell this committee the reason you went there?"

Jack quickly decided not to tell how the gate room had been invaded first. "It was strictly a reconnaissance mission, Ma'am. We didn't know what to expect."

"And what did you find?"

"Humans. They had been taken from earth. I mean, their ancestors had been taken from earth thousands of years ago by Ra."

"And Ra was an Egyptian God?"

"Yes, Ma'am, he was their Sun God or so they believed."_ 'I sure wish Daniel was here to answer these questions,' _he thought. "The alien impersonating Ra captured humans from earth and transplanted them on Abydos. And on other planets, too. So did other aliens. Transplant humans, I mean. They tricked the humans into believing that they were gods and then they made them their slaves."

Senator Dunsmoore looked at his notes and then at Jack and said, "General O'Neill, I says in this report that Former Vice-President Kinsay was head of the Appropriations Committee during the beginning of this program and that he questioned the viability of the SGC. Is that correct?"

"Yes Sir." Jack thought, _'I knew Kinsey's name would be brought up!'_

"My notes also say that he shut down the SGC. Is that correct?"

"Yes Sir."

"It also says that you and your team disobeyed orders and went through the gate. Is that correct?"

"Yes Sir."

"Would you please tell us why you did that?"

Jack looked at his notes to give him a moment to collect his thoughts. Then he explained how Kinsey had come to the SGC with the purpose of investigating the SGC because of the cost involved in running it. Right before he arrived, Daniel had disappeared on the previous mission and returned with some information that warned of an imminent attack on earth. He had the coordinates for the launch site and wanted to go there to stop the attack. Senator Kinsey didn't believe him and shut down the gate. They were able to go through the gate and stop the attack.

"So the Guld attacked earth? Why weren't we told about that?"

"That's Goa'uld, Sir, and yes, they tried but we stopped them. I wasn't the one who made the decision to keep this information from the public but if I had to venture a guess, I would say that it was to keep the public from panicking."

"I see. Have the Goa'uld attacked us since?"

Jack thought about the times that Apophis, Ba'al, and even Sokar had attacked. "Yes, sir, but we thwarted their attack each time."

There was an angry buzz circulating throughout the room as the Senator covered his microphone and talked quietly with senator next to him. Then he lifted his hand and said, "My colleague has some questions."

At that point, Senator Gibbons asked, "Sir, you said that Dr. Jackson had found out about this attack before it happened. Could you explain?"

Jack knew that they all had the notes before them about all the major incidents that happened at the SGC but they wanted this included in the sworn testimony. So, he began. "Dr. Jackson was with us on P3R-233." The committee members looked confused. "That's the planet designation. It has to do with- well, I'm not really sure how they get their names. Or numbers. I mean, you would have to ask Colonel Carter."

Dunsmoore sighed and said, "Please, continue."

"Right. Well, we went there. To P3R-233. While we were there, Daniel, or Doctor Jackson, found a room with some artifacts in it. He touched one of them and was transported to an alternate universe. While there, he found that their SGC and their earth were under attack. He was able to come back and tell us so that we would know about it beforehand and prepare for it."

Ramirez interrupted and said, "Wait! You just said 'alternate universe'. There is no such thing!"

"Sir," Jack said. "He found one. And since then, we've found others."

Chaos broke out in the room and Senator Tillman banged the gavel until order was restored and said, "There will be order during this hearing or we will do this behind closed doors!"

Everyone eventually settled down and then Tillman said, "General O'Neill, would you explain?"

Jack tried to explain and this time wished that Carter were there.

The Committee members demanded that Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter present themselves to testify but they were told that they were both stranded off-world and that they couldn't be contacted.

Jack was questioned for five more hours and by the time they recessed for the week-end; he was angry, disillusioned and exhausted.

When Monday came, crowds had gathered outside on the Mall where JumboTrons had been set up for them to watch the hearings. When Senator Ramirez asked Jack about Teal'c, angry shouts were heard from the crowd. Capital police patrolled on horseback to try to keep order and Jack began to fear for his life.

When Ramirez asked if there were any other aliens currently on earth, Jack said there were but refused to give up the names of Cassie Fraser and Vala Mal Doran. He explained that he feared for their safety, given the present atmosphere of the crowds outside.

He was ordered to comply but continued to refuse, even under threat of imprisonment for contempt of court. When he refused a third time he was handcuffed and led away. The crowd outside cheered and the Chairman decided to recess until further notice, hoping the crowds would disperse.

Jack was hustled out of the hearing room and through a tunnel to a waiting paddy-wagon. They took him to a jail cell and told him that he would be released when he gave the names up.

When General Landry saw what happened to Jack, he ordered Teal'c and Vala to stay at the SGC. He was sure that the angry crowds outside Cheyenne Mountain would storm the gates if they knew the two aliens were there. It was bad enough that they were at the gates shouting protests and making threats.

Finally, the President was forced to take action and sent orders to have Teal'c and Vala sequestered at Area 51. It was a secure facility and he felt that they would both feel safer if they were away from the mountain.

Many demanded that they be brought to trial but President Hayes asked what they would be charged with? They had been helping earth all this time and had committed no crimes.

Days went by and more and more sessions were held and all of it was televised. In the evenings, television anchors and political pundits tied up the airwaves with their own shows and people were glued to their sets.

General Landry testified but since hadn't been in charge during the inception of the SGC, he didn't have as much to report. He explained that his job was mostly administrative, though he did get a lot of help from his aides in that regard.

And, so far, the Armada continued to grow but didn't move closer to earth.

0o0

The Edoran people were wary at first when seeing the Tel'tak land as they had never seen one before. Those who were working in the fields scattered and headed for the village at a run. But, when they saw that it was Daniel and Sam, they stepped forward and greeted them.

"Fair Day," said an elderly gentleman as he as he reached for Daniel's hand. "We are pleased to see you again."

Sam remembered him as being one of the hardliners who had given them a hard time when they were there before. He'd argued for all of them staying to wait out the 'fire rain.'

"Paynan, Fair Day," Sam said as she gave him a smile.

Paynan looked at the ship and said, "Did Colonel O'Neill travel with you?"

Sam looked at Daniel and waited for him to answer.

"No, sir. Jack is back on earth. It's actually why we're here. We've lost contact with our home world and can't use the Stargate to get there. That's why we came by ship. We were wondering if we could refill the water tanks and in return, maybe assist you with whatever you might need help with.

Sam said. "Are there any mechanical problems we can fix? Or anything else? We'd also like to use your gate to dial home."

Paynan nodded and said, "You may do that. And, we do have crops to plant, if you would like to help with that. There aren't as many of us as before but it's still a lot of work."

Daniel said, "We would be glad to help out."

"Well, then. You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish."

Sam noticed someone approaching and turned to see it was Laira, the beautiful woman who'd fallen in love with Jack when he was stranded here.

"Fair Day, Major Carter."

"Fair Day, Laira. Please call me Sam. It's good to see you again." Sam smiled and decided that there wasn't any point in telling Laira that she was a Colonel now. It was probably not important anymore. And, she realized that she was glad to see Laira again. Laira had been very kind to them and she remembered the evening that SG-1 had spent under the stars, watching the meteor shower.

"Please, come share our mid-day meal. You are welcome guests here!"

Daniel smiled and said, "We would be honored."

0o0

It was a simple meal of coarse bread, stew and ale. Daniel and Sam went through their food stuffs and brought out some dried figs, raisins, cherries and nuts to share with their friends. Everyone enjoyed the meal and there was much joy and laughter to go around.

Afterwards, Laira asked Sam privately how Jack was doing. Sam understood this woman's curiosity and said, "He was fine when I last saw him. His knees are bothering him a bit more but he still gets along okay. Some of the young recruits are still in awe of his fighting abilities. Most of them can't keep up with him."

Laira smiled. "He was good to have around. If something needed fixing, he was right there. And, of course, he loved to fish."

"He still does. He always has a story about a fish he almost caught."

Sam and Laira walked over to the bridge and leaned on it, watching the water. Sam could tell that there was something on her mind but she decided to wait and see if it was something Laira would bring up. She looked around and said, "It looks like the village recovered well."

"It took some time. It's been nine years and we've worked hard but we're doing well."

"And Garan how is he?"

Laira's smile lit her face. "He's well. He teaches at our school. All the children love him. He and Naytha are planning a wedding in a few weeks, actually. You're welcome to stay."

A few minutes later, a building on the edge of town erupted with school age children who came running towards the bridge. Garan soon followed and walked towards them. "Major Carter?"

"Hello Garan. Please, call me Sam. It's wonderful to see you again." She reached forward to shake hands.

"I saw your ship fly over and could barely keep the children inside. Then I saw you both walk into town and knew that there was nothing to fear. Is Colonel O'Neill here?" He looked around and then turned back towards her.

"I'm afraid not."

Laira said, "We'll visit later, Garan. When you see Naytha have her come over for dinner later and we'll get caught up."

Garan smiled and said, "I'd love to, Mother." He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She said, "Where's Tanna?"

"She's coming. She went over to Becka's to get a book she loaned her."

Okay. I'll see you in a bit."

Sam watched him go and said, "You must be proud of him. He's grown up."

Laira said, "Yes, he's a great teacher. The children just love him."

Laira looked in the distance and Sam turned to watch. Coming towards the bridge was a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Sam looked at Laira and watched her smile as she gazed at her daughter. Sam immediately knew that his was Jack's daughter. And oddly, enough, it made her happy. She felt that if Jack was dead and earth destroyed, he'd be pleased to know that he'd created someone so beautiful. Sam smiled and said, "This must be Tanna."

"Yes, she turned eight years old in February." She looked at Tanna and smiled. "She's a nice little ray of sunshine in my life."

Sam smiled and said, "I'm glad for you."

Tanna reached for her mom and gave her a hug around the waist. "We learned about frogs today." She looked up into her mother's face and said, "Did you know that baby frogs don't have any legs?"

Laira laughed and said, "Yes, I knew that. Say hello to a friend of mine. This is Major Carter."

"Hello, Major Carter."

"Hello and you can call me Sam."

She smiled and said, "Did you know that frog babies don't have any legs?"

"Really? How can they hop?"

"They can't! That's silly!" Tanna giggled.

Laira said, "Sweetie, why don't you go on home and I'll be along in a minute."

Yes, mother."

Tanna skipped across the bridge and headed for their house.

Sam smiled as she watched her go. "She's very cute. And smart! She reminds me of her father."

Laira looked fondly after her daughter and said, "Me too."

Both women made eye contact and then laughed.

Sam said, "Jack's doing well. He's not where Daniel and I work anymore but we see him occasionally and hear from him often."

Laira's face had turned a bit pink but she nodded and then looked up.

"I'm glad to hear it. Are you and Daniel-?"

Sam shook her head. "We're very good friends but I think of him like a best friend. They used to call us the Science Twins at work. We were always in each other's labs pulling all-nighters and helping each other out."

Laura grinned and said, "I'm not sure exactly what you just said but it sounds good."

"It is. I'm not sure what our future holds but we're not romantically involved. We're just friends."

Laira smiled and said, "It's a good place to start a relationship."

Sam nodded and said, "Just the same- It's not what we're looking for right now."

"I understand."

Sam smiled and said, "I suppose I should see where he's gone off to though."

"Oh, he and Paynan were headed over to the barn to look at the plow. He wanted to show Daniel the improvements that Jack said he could make if he tried a few things. Paynan is very good with tools."

Sam smiled. "Daniel has a lot of talents but mechanics isn't exactly one of them. He's a scholar on our world, like your son. He can do some things mechanical but he'd rather not."

They approached the barn and heard Paynan explaining to Daniel how the new plow worked.

As they entered the building, they saw Paynan standing in back of the contraption that had four blades equally spaced along a bar and he was showing Daniel how to raise and lower the bar.

"It's a wonder, I tell ya," Paynan said. "I can plow four rows at one time. It's really helped speed things up in the field."

Daniel turned and looked behind him from the seat he was in and smiled. _'Jack will be so happy to see this.'_ "It looks like it would take two mules to pull."

"No, that's the beauty of it. My mule can do the work all by himself."

Sam and Laira stepped up and Laira said, "You must know that when Jack thought he was staying he tried to help. He made pages and pages of drawings and notes about devices that he said would make our lives easier."

Daniel smiled and said, "I can understand that. This plow will make a big difference."

He and Sam followed the Edoran's to the house for dinner and Sam thought that it was great that Jack had left such a good legacy here.

0o0

Later in the evening as Daniel was writing in his journal, he said, "You know, the Anthropologist in me should be having a fit that Jack made those drawings and tried to change things here. But, I can just see Jack climbing the walls, wanting things done faster."

"Can you imagine?" Sam chuckled. "He would have probably gone nuts eventually. What about you? Could you settle for this? Or would you be wishing for your office and your reference library?"

"I'm not sure." Daniel thought for a minute and then said, "I think I would be okay. The people here have their own history, apart from ours, so it would be interesting to learn about it. And living as a slower pace definitely has its advantages. It's quieter here without the noise from traffic or the sound of jets taking off at Peterson." He looked around and said, "I think I could get used to it. Could you?"

"Eventually. Maybe. I don't know." She got up and looked out the window. "I think there'd be enough to do to keep me busy."


	7. Time Marches On

Chapter Seven: Time Marches On

After dinner, Daniel, Sam and some of the Edorans walked to the Stargate. Laira watched as Sam dialed the gate but was saddened when it wouldn't open. She remembered how distraught Jack had become when he'd thought he wasn't returning to earth. She knew that Daniel and Sam must be feeling the same way and she too wondered why the gate wouldn't open

It was almost sundown when they all turned back towards the village. Laira asked, "Will you be staying the night? We have a few empty houses and you could stay in one – or two- of them."

Sam said, "Thank you but all of our things are in the ship. We can stay there tonight and return in the morning. We haven't decided how long we can visit and we need to talk about it."

"As you wish." Laira said and waved to them as they crossed the bridge and headed down the road.

It was a twenty minute walk to the Tel'tak and Daniel said, "It won't hurt to stay a few days and help out. Paynan kinda hinted that they were a bit overwhelmed with the work that needs to be done before winter sets in."

"I noticed, Sam replied. "They have the harvest to get in, food to be preserved, roofs to be fixed. I think it's going to take more than a few days. We could be here for weeks."

Daniel nodded and said, "That's true. And I know you want to get home as much as I do but we've been cooped up in that ship for weeks and I think we need the break. And they certainly need the help."

"Okay. We'll just play it by ear." Sam was agreeable and she had to admit, it was nice having another woman to talk to. Daniel was great. Easy to talk to and pleasant to be with but sometimes women need each other.

After going inside they left the door open to let in the fresh evening air. Daniel said he wanted to write in his journal so he went forward to the flight deck and she went to the cargo bay and settled in for the night.

Sam sat on her cot and thought about the talk she'd had with Laira. Sam and Jack had always had a healthy respect for each other. At one point, they admitted that they had feelings for each other but each thought well of the other's career choice and the sacrifices that went with it. Sam didn't want people to think badly of Jack. She knew that there were some in the government that would jump at the chance to find a reason to have him dismissed from the program. And, Jack had once told her that much as he cared for her, he wouldn't put her career in danger. He also knew that if he got romantically involved with her, there were some who would say that Sam had slept her way to the top. He admired her so much and knew she'd worked very hard to accomplish what she had and he wouldn't ever give anyone cause to question her motivation.

She thought again about what might have happened on earth. Maybe Daniel was right. Maybe there was an attack and that's why they couldn't get through. She fell asleep hoping she was wrong.

0o0

Daniel and Sam enjoyed the time they spent on Edora by helping their friends with improvement projects in the village. Daniel helped dig a new well and put a new roof on the barn, something that was badly needed. Sam engineered a horse drawn harvester for the crops and she estimated that they could get the harvest in twice as fast. Daniel spent evenings around the table telling stories about places they'd been and cultures they'd found.

A few days had gone by and Sam and Daniel had settled into a routine. They moved into Talmar's old house, sharing cooking and cleaning duties and chatted happily about scientific studies in astrophysics and archeology. Most evenings included one or two friends who would visit and they never felt lonely.

Late one night, Daniel woke up and heard Sam shouting. He jumped off his bed and went over to her bedroom door to see that she was asleep but her arms were moving. Her blanket was thrown off and she sat up looking at something that only she could see in her dreams. He called her name and she blinked. He called again and she turned to look at him.

Even in the dim light, he could see that she was very pale and looked sick. He no sooner had that thought when she jumped up, ran past him and headed out the back door to throw up.

He grabbed her blanket and followed her out into the porch. She was sitting on the step shivering and welcomed the warm blanket he wrapped around her shoulders.

As he sat next to her with his arms around her, he asked, "You okay?" He reached for her forehead and thought she felt too warm.

"I don't know. My stomach hurts and I have a bad headache." They slowly walked back to her bed and he stayed next to her to make sure she was settled in. He got the first aid kit out and got out the thermometer tape.

"You have a temperature of 101°. When did you start feeling bad?"

She burrowed under the covers and shivered. "I don't know. I was fine at dinner and except for a slight headache, everything was okay when I went to bed. I'm wondering if the food was cooked properly"

"I'm sure it was. The meat was falling off the bones when we ate it. Let me check your pulse." It was normal, considering. "Do you hurt anywhere else besides your stomach and head? A sore throat or anything?"

"No, nothing specific. I kinda ache all over."

"Sounds to me like a flu bug." He reached into the kit and got out a blister pack of acetaminophen and then the cup of water.

"Here," he said as he handed them to her. While she took the pills, he grabbed a notepad and wrote down what medication she took and the time she took them.

She closed her eyes and soon was asleep so he went back to his bed. Sleep didn't come easy and before he knew it, his watched beeped the 6 A.M. alarm.

He checked on her again and noted that she seemed cooler. He washed, dressed and made coffee. He went back to her bedroom a little while later and saw that Sam was trying to get up. "Stay there," he said as he pushed her back onto the bed.

"I have to shut off the reactor," she said. "It's gonna blow up!" She looked at Daniel but he could see that she wasn't really there. He could feel the heat waves rolling off of her so she checked her temperature and saw that it was up to 104°. She weakly kept trying to get out of bed so he said, "I did it, Sam. I already shut it off."

She looked at him and blinked. "Daniel?"

"Yes, it's me." He picked up the cup and said, "I want you to drink some more water, okay?"

She closed her eyes for a moment and then said, "Yeah. I think so."

He helped her sit up, take a drink and then lay back down. After covering her up, he sat with her until she was asleep and then went into the kitchen and got a cloth and a large pan which he then filled with cool water. He wiped her face and neck and she slept completely through it.

Laira stopped by and Daniel waved her off, telling her that this might be contagious and he didn't want it to spread to the others. After much protesting, she agreed but assured him that she would help if he needed her to.

Endless hours passed and he would have lost track of time if it weren't for the journal. At one point, her fever climbed so high that he was forced try something new. He went in search of Laira and explained what he needed.

Laira came and she carefully undressed Sam and wrapped her in a blanket. Then he carried her into the bathroom and set her down into a tub of lukewarm water. He wasn't expecting her reaction as she flew upwards out of the tub and thrashed about. Her scream pierced the air as she tried to escape and she threw a right hook that connected with Daniel's shoulder. He fell back as Sam few past him, leaving a trail of water in her wake.

As he lay gasping on the floor, trying to get his wind back, Laira followed Sam and he heard her crashing about in the common room. By the time he joined Laira, Sam was crouched in the corner with the blanket wrapped around her, eyes wild. She focused on him and said, "Daniel?"

"Hey, Sam," he said. "Welcome back."

She took in his soaked clothing and said, "You look terrible."

Yeah, I'll bet I do." He winced as he rubbed a bruised shoulder.

She whispered, "What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

She shook her head 'no,' and then noticed that she had a blanket wrapped around her and she was wet and naked underneath.

Laira said, "You had a fever. It was pretty high and the medicine wasn't bringing it down."

Daniel said, "I knew I had to try something so we put you in a tub of water. Do you remember that?"

Sam slowly shook her head no and then she sat down, exhausted. "I only remember waking up and I was freezing."

"The water was lukewarm," he said. "The medication wasn't working and it was the only thing I could think to do."

"How long have I been sick?" Sam felt like she'd been sick a long time.

"Five days," Daniel said. "Do you remember any of it?"

She just stared at him in bewilderment.

Daniel said, "No, I don't suppose you do. C'mon, let's get you back to bed."

Laira got her a dry nightgown from her own things and helped her change while Daniel emptied the tub and wiped up the wet floor. When Sam was ready, he lifted her up as a fleeting thought came to his mind that it had been a long, long time since he'd held a woman in his arms. He smiled and carried her to her bed.

She closed her eyes when he gently laid her on the bed and placed a blanket over her "I feel awful."

He sat on the edge and checked her temperature. "It's down a little." She saw that he wouldn't meet her eyes and said, "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done that but I was desperate."

She closed her eyes and said, "It's okay. We've seen each other naked before."

He blushed and then frowned bringing the creases between his brows together. "We have?"

She just smiled and went back to sleep.

Laira just gave a knowing smile and went into the common room to mop up the floor.

He thought about it and knew that the only way she could have seen him naked was on a mission or when he was injured. He shook his head and then went to sit at the table.

"You love her." It was a simple statement and Laira was watching him from across the room as she went to the stove to make some lunch.

"She's my friend." Daniel was surprised at the emotions that were running wild all over his heart. Did he_? 'Every woman I've ever loved has been either killed or hurt in some way so it's better if I keep this platonic.'_

Laira smiled knowingly and let the matter rest.

0o0

When Sam next awoke, Daniel was sitting on a chair and writing in his journal. When he turned towards her and saw that she was awake, he got up and made his way to her side.

"Hey, you look better," he said. "You've been asleep since yesterday afternoon. I was getting worried."

That surprised her. "I guess I needed it." She took his hand and said, "What about you? You look worn out."

"I'm okay. I slept most of the night, once it looked like your fever wasn't going to climb again. "

"Good." She said as she tried to sit up. "I really need to pee."

He helped her to the outhouse and then back. When she insisted on getting dressed, he asked, "Are you sure? You should take it easy."

"I've been asleep for days, Daniel. I need to get up and move a little bit."

He rummaged through her belongings and set out some clothes for her. Then he went into the kitchen to give her privacy, telling her to call if she needed him.

She sat on her bed for a few minutes and then stood. The room swayed a bit so she sat back down and carefully dressed herself. When she was done she stood again and decided that she'd need his help, after all. After calling to him, he came back and saw that she looked white as a sheet. He put one arm around her shoulder and helped her walk to the kitchen table.

"It feels good to get up," she said.

"Are you hungry? Laira made some soup."

"Toast," she said after he got her settled.

"Coming right up."

She didn't want to admit to him that she felt like a cooked noddle, all wobbly and weak. But, it did feel great to be up and out of bed.

Daniel stood at the stove and toasted a couple of pieces of bread in the iron skillet. He found a jar of strawberry jam and thanked God that the Edoran people had been so generous. He also felt tremendous relief that Sam was okay. For a few days, when Sam's fever had been its highest, he wondered if she was going to make it. It terrified him that she might not and though she wasn't completely out of the woods, yet- he smiled. He hadn't eaten much in the last few days either so he fixed them both a plate.

Sam smiled at him as he sat across from her. She pushed a book and some papers out of the way so he could set down the tray and grinned as her stomach growled noticeably.

He smiled and said, "That's music to my ears." He saw her smile and returned it with a relieved sigh. As far as he knew, she was all he had left of their life on earth and he never wanted to find out what life would be without her.

0o0

Cam drove to Area 51 to visit both Teal'c and Vala. He stood in the hallway before both doors that were across from each other and dismissed both guards that were stationed there.

By the looks if it, they had both resigned themselves to the fact that they might probably spend the rest of their lives behind bars. They had been kept apprised of the situation including General Hammond's passing and Vala grew more frantic as the days passed. The thought of Sam and Daniel being stranded off-world was both a good thing and a bad thing. It looked like they would be spared whatever was coming but she missed them terribly.

"If the gate would shut down, I'd get you both out of here. Send you to the Land of Light where your family is," he said as he nodded to Teal'c. "But, it's open and won't shut down."

Vala exclaimed, "I thought it could only stay open for 38 minutes?"

"Normally, that's true. We have had instances where it's been open longer. One time it was connected to a planet being sucked into a black hole. That's not the case this time as there's no gravitational pull. It's been open for weeks now and it would be quite evident by now if that's what this is. Technically, it's off line but that just means we can't use it from our end. We don't know who opened it but whoever did, they have technology that we don't."

Teal'c watched his friend through the window of his cell and said, "Colonel Mitchell, I do not know of any enemies who can keep a gate open indefinitely."

Neither do I, Teal'c. Look, I'll try to keep you both informed about what's happening. For now, you'll just have to sit tight."

Vala sat back on her bunk and sighed. "That's easy for you to say. I haven't had a manicure in weeks." She tried to be funny but it wasn't coming across that way.

Teal'c nodded solemnly to Cam and said, "We will endure."

A few days later, the Armada moved.


	8. Reality Bites

Chapter Eight: Reality Bites

Scientists at the SGC estimated that it would only take a few days for the alien ships to arrive, due to hyper-speed engines. All bases across the country were on alert and the FAA grounded all civilian flights. F-18's patrolled the skies across the country and all military personnel, active and reserve, were expected to report for duty. Other nations did the same.

Once the news reached the general public, panic ensued and millions rioted around the globe. Hundreds of people stormed the security fence on Norad Rd. and despite everything; the guards were overwhelmed and killed. People packed the elevators and the stairwells, using the deceased guard's key cards to gain access to the lower depths.

When the mob entered the 28th floor, they stood in awe before the gate. It was the only thing that stopped them in their tracks. The gate was still open and the iris still closed as it had been for weeks, now. One guy in the gate room threw a switch and the iris opened. General Landry was in the control room with a group of SF's who were trying to stop those who were trying to rush in. He was ordering the civilians to vacate the gate room when a group of aliens came through the gate.

One of the technicians got a call through to the Commanding Officer at Peterson AFB and since that officer was already prepared, he understood clearly when he heard airman yell into the phone, "Sir, it's the aliens! They've come through the gate at the SGC!"

Hank grabbed Colonel Coburn and they both set the self-destruct. Three minutes later, the mountain imploded.

Everyone in and around the Colorado Springs area was knocked to the ground. Many assumed that they were experiencing an earthquake until they looked out their windows and saw a huge plume of smoke and debris rising from where Cheyenne Mountain was supposed to be. It was still there but had a gigantic crater in the center where the mountain top had been only minutes before. Car sirens were going off all over the place and there were car accidents and injured people everywhere. Broken glass from windows had fallen on unsuspecting victims leaving them bloodied and screaming on sidewalks around the downtown area. Many were already afraid since hearing on the news about the alien ships so many more panicked than before.

0o0

President Hayes was in a meeting before the Senate Sub-Committee when a page came in and was given permission to approach. After reading the message that the aide handed him, he said, "I'm deeply grieved to report that the Cheyenne Mountain complex has been destroyed. I'm sorry gentlemen but I'm needed at the Oval Office so if you'll please excuse me." He stood and left the room amid shouts for clarification and the clamor of photographers trying to get the best picture of the President as he left the room.

Jack was released on orders from President Hayes so that he could help with the planet's defense operations. He was headed towards the prison parking lot where his aid waited for him when his cell rang. Colonel Davis called him to say that he was needed in Washington. He informed his driver and they headed straight for the White House. Jack called the White House switchboard and tried to get through to the President but was told he was in meeting and couldn't be reached. "Would you like to leave a message, Sir?"

"Yes. Tell him General O'Neill called. I'm in headed for Washington and I'm on my way to the White House.

"Yes Sir."

He tried calling Cam's number to start Operation Viking but was unable to get through. He hung up and tried Carolyn's home number. When she answered, he said, "Doc, I can't get in touch with Cam. Is he with you?"

"He just called, Sir. He said he'd call back later when he left Area 51. The authorities there have blocked all cell phone traffic until further notice."

"Okay, when you hear back, I want you both to start Operation Viking. You have the information that you need?"

Carolyn felt goose bumps as she answered, "Yes Sir."

"Great! I gotta go. I'll meet you when I can!" He hung up and looked at his phone. He thought about calling Daniel for a split-second and then remembered that his best friend was stranded off-world with Sam and possibly dead. 'I sure am glad you're not here to see this,' he thought.

They were near the Capital Building when they found that the streets were completely blocked with cars. He looked out the tinted car windows to see that people were fleeing the city, believing that they would be safer in the countryside. Jack knew that there would be no place safe when the attack came. Whoever these aliens were, they wouldn't be satisfied until every human was either dead or taken into slavery. He hoped he was wrong but he'd seen what could happen when he'd been on other planets. True, the Ori, Replicators and Goa'uld were gone but he never believed that they were the only bad guys out there. The universe was too big to have him believe that. He'd seen quite of bit of it and knew it for a fact.

He looked at his driver and said, "I'm going to have to hike it, Tom."

'Sir, you'll never make it! If they don't trample you, you'll get torn apart when they recognize you!"

"I'll have to take that risk."

Tom thought for a second and then said, "I have an idea." Jack watched as Tom moved something around on the seat next to him. Through the partition flew a pair of sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt. Next came a ball cap. Finally, a pair of running shoes. "I was going to go to the gym after work but I doubt they'll be open tonight." He gave a chuckle. "We're about the same size. If you pull the cap down low and wear your sunglasses, you might get away."

Jack was stunned but agreed and then changed his clothes. When he was finished, he didn't look like an Air Force General. He reached through the partition to shake hands and said, "Get out of here. Leave the car if you have to. It's not safe."

"Yes Sir." He shut off the ignition and threw the keys on the floor. "Ready?"

"No, but I'm going anyway. Thanks. You've been great!"

"Thank you, Sir."

Tom opened the door and climbed out of the limo. Soon, he was lost in the crowd. Jack took a deep breath and then pulled the hat down and the hood up. Once outside the car, he took off at a brisk jog.

He tried to avoid getting knocked down by frightened people running past. The streets were cordoned off blocks away from the White House and he had to show his I.D. at various checkpoints in order to move closer to his destination. He thought about getting upset but then he realized that this was a good thing. It meant that there wasn't an easy way to get to the President and that helped ensure his safety.

Finally, he reached the last checkpoint and was shown into the Oval Office where he found Henry on the phone. He was waved closer and stood over by the windows, looking out at the military units stationed out on Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Jack! Have you heard?" When Jack turned towards him, Henry saw the grief on his face. He stood and came around the desk. "I'm sorry. I know how you cared for everyone at the mountain."

Jack said, "Are they certain there are no survivors?"

"Yes. One man, a technician, was able to call out. He said the iris was open and aliens were coming through."

Jack thought about the losses and then shook his head. He wasn't sure who was on duty today but he knew that Landry was probably there. Maybe Walter and Feretti. He was sure the list of missing and presumed dead would grow dramatically in the next few days.

"Have a seat," Henry said. "I've had CNN on all day and it looks like the rioting is pretty much world-wide. Honestly, I can't say I blame them."

Jack looked down at the floor. "Did the technician give a description of the aliens?"

"He didn't have time. He was cut-off during the transmission. Who do you think they are, Jack?"

"I have no idea. It's definitely not the Ori. It could be the rogue element of the Asgard but I doubt it. Sam encountered some unknowns when she was trapped in that gas cloud a few years ago so that's possible. And, it could be the Wraith."

The President nodded and said, "Well, who ever they are, it looks like they're bringing enough ships to take over the whole planet. All nearly seven billion of us."

I personally doubt there will be quite that many left. There's a lot of rioting going on out there."

"I heard that some of the religious factions believe its Armageddon and expect to be raptured away." Henry smiled as he sat back in his chair.

"That would be nice but I have my doubts." Jack tapped his index finger on the arm of the chair. "Is there anything I can do, Sir? I feel useless."

"We still will use our Air Force men and women to intercept. Maybe we can shoot a few down."

"I'm willing to give it a try but I doubt it will make a dent. What's the latest news on the ships?"

"Definitely getting closer but I'm surprised they're not here by now?"

"Me too."

Henry stood and came around the desk to stand in front of Jack. "What can we expect, Jack?"

Jack new that Henry had read the reports from the Atlantis expedition but maybe he needed some hope. Unfortunately, he didn't have any. "That depends on they are. If it's the Wraith, they'll send in darts to cull the planet. Anyone out in the open will be swept up and then transported to the ships. There, they'll be put in stasis and fed upon as needed."

"Do they have a homeworld?"

"I don't think so. They have hive ships they live in, as far as I know.

Henry shut his eyes and sighed. "Okay, so if they don't go out in the open, can our people survive?"

"Possibly, but the hive ships can land and the Wraith will round people up too. I imagine there will be some pockets of survivors who will evade capture but I also doubt they'll leave much of our planet untouched. It's going be brutal, Sir."

"I would like you to stay here at the White House but I won't order it."

"I doubt I can do much to stop them," Jack said.

Henry said. "You just might be able to pull a rabbit out of your hat."

"With all due respect, Sir. It feels like we've all gone down a rabbit hole and encountered the Mad Hatter."

Henry looked at his friend and wondered what they all had to look forward to. Then he said, "Jack, if you want to go, I won't stop you. Do you have a plan in case something like this happens?"

"As a matter of fact-"

"It's okay," Henry said. "I want you to put it in action. It would be best if you enacted that option. Maybe some will survive that way. And, don't tell me what it is. I don't want to give you up if I get captured."

The two men stared at each other for a moment and then Jack nodded. "I'll go now, then."

Henry said, "Thanks, Jack. It's been a pleasure."

They shook hands and then Jack saluted and left to begin his part in 'Operation Viking'." There was a plan, in case of attack, where a few members of the SGC would gather at the cabin in Minnesota. They were Harriman, Siler, Lam, Cassie, Feretti, Marks, Reynolds, a few others and what was left of SG-1.

0o0

Cam was staying at guest quarters in the Area 51 and had left the base to get away for a few hours when his cell rang. It was Carolyn and she sounded desperate.

"What's the matter? Cam asked. "Calm down, Honey and talk to me."

"I've been trying to call you all morning. Where were you?"

"They blocked all cell communication on the base. I couldn't get away until now. I've been trying to talk these idiots into letting Teal'c and Vala go free but I'm not having any luck."

"Well, Jack called. He's headed out. He said he wants us all to meet."

Cam knew exactly what she meant as soon as she said it. "That bad, huh?"

"Yeah, he said to get 'it' going. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, Okay. I'll get on the road as soon as I can. I've got something to do first. You get out of town now and get on the road before things get bad, okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you there?"

"I'll try. That's all I can promise." He paused a moment, taking this all in. "I love you, Caro."

He could hear her weeping quietly on the other end of the line. "Love you too." Then the phone went dead. He knew that she was grieving for her father and that was hard enough to deal with. Getting to the cabin wouldn't be easy and he wished that he was there to help her out.

After returning to his quarters, he packed his things in his duffel bag and locked the door behind him. After stowing his gear in the trunk of his car, he went back into the building where Teal'c and Vala were being held. He approached the guard at the door and said, "I need to talk to Teal'c. Can I have a few minutes?"

The guard nodded and used his key card to open the door to the area where the two cells were that housed Teal'c and Vala. When the guard opened Teal'c cell and stepped back, Cam hit him in the mouth and they both hit the floor. Teal'c stepped forward and reached for the man from behind. He placed his thumbs on the guard's carotid artery and pressed. Within seconds, the guard was unconscious and locked in the cell. They used the key card to free Vala and left through a service elevator. There were no security cameras in this area as it had originally been a storage facility for the kitchen. Cam brought his car around and they climbed in. He threw some clothes at the two and the three changed into uniforms. To anyone careless, it looked like a general and his aid were being driven off the base by an army captain. By the next morning it didn't matter. They were in Minnesota when all hell broke loose.

0o0

Jack hitched a ride on a military flight to a base in Minnesota and walked from there to his cabin. He stayed away from roads and it was almost dawn by the time he got there. The place had been closed up the year before and there wasn't anyone around. He let himself in using the key he had hidden in a birdhouse by the lake. He wasn't sure who, if any, had survived but they all knew that in the worst case scenario they were supposed to meet here. He made sure they understood the need for secrecy. All the people he'd picked were single and had been trained in survival skills. He'd seen to it personally. Now that the worst had happened, he hoped they would all get there soon.

0o0

The first thing the Wraith ships did when they approached earth was surround the planet and then take out all the satellites. This effectively cut off all radar leaving the planet blind. Emergency measures were enacted by the military forces on the ground but the loss of their satellites was a big blow.

It also cut off all cell phone communication. Old fashioned radios and Ham radio sets still worked but not as many people knew how to use those.

The Wraith attacked early in the morning in the U.S. Panicked citizens ran out of their homes and apartment buildings and were swept up into the ships by the dozens. As each group of ships would reach capacity, they would rise and head into space to hover above the planet while another group would sweep in and take their place. When people figured out what was happening, they started running back into the buildings, hoping that the ship's beams wouldn't find them. At that point, Wraith soldiers transported to the surface and started systematically hunting down those hiding and brought them out into the open for transport. Thousands of Wraith were on the ground hunting every day and Hive ships filled to capacity, only to be replaced by more hive ships.

Without television reporting, very few people knew that the ships would move into newer areas and start the process all over again. Within weeks, almost everyone was either gone or dead and whole cities and towns emptied out. Those that did evade the Wraith went into hiding and only came out at night.

0o0

While Earth was being decimated by the Wraith, Daniel and Sam made their way across the galaxy, visiting the planets where they knew they could count on for help. Months went by and they spent the long stretches between stops working on keeping in shape and practiced hand-to-hand combat training. Daniel taught Sam to speak Goa'uld, French and Spanish and she taught him what she could about astrophysics. Occasionally, they would stop for a few days at an unoccupied planet just to get some fresh air and sun. On one particular way-station they were sitting on a beach sharing their lunch when she asked him, "What do you miss the most?"

He snorted and said, "Besides coffee? Music."

"Really?" She looked closely at him and said, "I forgot- you play piano, don't you. Not that I've ever heard you play but I remember that you had one in your apartment -before you ascended. Are you any good?"

He smiled and said, "I get by."

"Okay, what kind of music do you play?"

"I learned classical first. I was ten when I played in my first recital. I don't even remember what the name of the song was now." He got up and dusted the sand off his now threadbare pants. "I could sight-read just about anything you put in front of me by the time I was fifteen." He walked over to the water and skipped a stone. "What about you? What do you miss the most?"

She thought about it for a moment and then said, "I've been thinking about that a lot and I can't decide. I dream a lot about flying." She got up and selected a stone to throw.

He grinned and said, "You can't be serious! Of all the things to miss and you pick flying. Isn't that was we've been doing all this time?" He laughed out loud and said, "You always did have a thing for speed."

"I know. I love flying - the feel of the gravitational pull. It's a real thrill." She looked over at the ship and said, "What we're doing isn't like flying. It's space travel. All black outside and not much to see for perspective. There's no gravitational pull because of the inertial dampeners. When I'm in the sky above earth- its pure magic."

He watched her face as she talked and saw something he hadn't seen in a while. Joy! _'She doesn't smile much anymore,'_ he thought. And then the reality of the situation intruded on the moment like a jab in the ribs and he felt the overwhelming weight of sadness for what they might find at home. Or not find. He looked away as his emotions threatened to surface.

She noticed his shift in mood and knew immediately that he was worried about their circumstances. She took his hand and said, "Hey, no matter what, at least we've got each other, right?"

He stopped and turned to look at her, "Have I ever told you how much you mean to me? You've always been there. Even when you were Commander on Atlantis, I knew that if I needed you, you'd help me if it were possible. All through my childhood, adolescence, college years - hell, my whole life before I came to the SGC, I never had a friend like you."

Now it was her turn to feel sad "You must have been awfully lonely." It was a statement that cut right to the quick.

"Not since I met you. After Sha're died, you didn't push me to talk about her but you let me know that if I needed to unload all the grief, you'd be there to listen. I felt awful when I returned from the 'higher plane,' so to speak, and I found out that your father had died and I wasn't there for you."

"I don't blame you for that! It wasn't your fault! If anyone is to be blamed for that one, it's me. It was because of me that my Replicator duplicate got away. She killed you and it's my fault."

He took her by the shoulders and said, "Stop! Listen to us! You never failed me, Sam!"

"And you never failed me!"

"Okay. So, now that we have that settled!" He laughed; then pulled her to him and said, "C'mere."

They hugged for a few moments and then he said, "Do you think we've got that old ship aired out by now?"

"I hope so. It was getting pretty rank in there." They held hands all the way back to the ship and decided to leave at first light.

Soon, they would reach their own solar system and they started making preparations for what they might find. At some point, a few days before, they lost their cloaking ability and hoped that they didn't run into any unfriendlies. They barely had any food left and had been rationing their supplies for weeks. He knew he'd lost some weight and so had she but he didn't know how much. He could see it in her face, how her cheeks seemed hollowed out. For himself, he had added a few holes to his belt and knew she'd done the same.

They had been trying to contact NORAD but hadn't any success and decided to stop trying just in case their transmissions were intercepted by any enemies they might encounter. It wouldn't be long now. They were almost home.


	9. Realizations

Chapter Nine - Realizations

It had been over a year since Sam and Daniel had been cut off and a lot had happened in that time. They talked about every topic they could think of from sports to politics. They had grown closer than ever before and at some point in the trip, Daniel looked over at Sam and realized that Laira had been right. He did love her but he also knew that he couldn't tell her. He wouldn't be able to stand it if she didn't feel the same and he didn't want anything awkward to exist between them. She'd been his closest friend since the Stargate program had started. Sure, he and Jack were close too, and Teal'c could always be counted on for his friendship and loyalty, but with Sam it was different. Maybe it was their love of science that brought them closer – how they would stay up all night together working in each other's labs, trying to figure out some mystery. Maybe it was because they started out as the two youngest team members on SG-1. He wasn't sure what it was but he was very grateful for it. He wondered again what they would find when they returned home and was worried but he also knew that he was glad Sam was with him.

One night, they were both playing a game of chess and he won the game- but just barely. He gathered the corners of the home-made cloth board together and pulled the bundle of pieces towards him. He said, "You are tough to beat! Who taught you to play?"

She laughed and said, "My mom. Mark was usually out with his friends and my dad was either stationed someplace far away from home or had to work at the base late. So, mom and I would spend hours playing games. As I got older, our chess games got more challenging and we enjoyed playing."

They got a cup of juice and sat side-by-side along the wall. She looked over at him and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," he said as he set his cup down.

"In all those years working for the SGC, did you ever feel tempted to call up any of your colleagues, the ones who laughed at you when you told them your theories about the pyramids, and tell them you could prove you were right?"

He smiled and said, "Oh, I had thoughts about what that would be like but I was never tempted to follow through."

"Really? Never once?"

"No." He shrugged and continued. "I would have been thrown out of the program if I had and then I wouldn't have been able to search for Sha're. She was my divining rod. Going off-world is great and good but I wanted to bring her home."

"What about after she died?" She was curious. She never had anything to prove but he did. The academics he'd worked with went out of their way to discredit him after that lecture and she knew it had hurt him badly. Yet, he still had the poise and grace to just let it go? She admired that.

He was quiet for a few seconds and then said, "I have to admit, when she died I felt adrift. I wasn't sure what to do and things got a bit dark for me for a while. It was one reason that I agreed to Ascension."

"I thought as much," Sam said as she set her cup down.

With a bit of intensity, he said, "After I came back, I felt a new purpose. But, I also felt at peace. I knew that what we were doing was important."

"And you still didn't want to tell anyone?"

"No, especially then. It would have jeopardized the work of so many people. Whole families depended on the SGC for their jobs. I was content to be a part of that."

She reached over and covered his hand with hers. "I'm glad you came back. I was really lost without you." She looked into his eyes and saw that she had a look on her face that he hadn't seen in a long, long time, one of joy and happiness. He leaned forward and slowly kissed her, finding her lips soft and warm. The kiss deepened and they both were surprised at the passion that was stirring inside. Just as quickly as it started, they pulled apart and blushed.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I don't know why I did that?" Daniel rose quickly and grabbed his cup, almost running into the kitchen to get away. He heard her call from the other room.

"Don't you? I've wanted to do that for the longest time!"

"You have?" He looked surprised as he turned towards the doorway and saw her leaning against it. He knew he'd harbored feelings for her for a long time but he thought it was all one-sided.

"Yes! Long before we were stranded on P22-718."

"Really?" He looked aghast. "For heaven's sake! Why?"

She just looked at him for a moment and then decided to approach. He took her hand and studied her as she stood in front of him. "Because, I've loved you for a long, long time." She smiled at him and watched his face, wondering if she'd scared him off. He set her mug down next to his in the sink and then looked at her. There was no guile, no teasing. He saw in an instant that she was quite serious and his heart seemed to be pounding in his chest.

She reached forward with her index finger and set the tip on the pulse point of his wrist, noticing that his heart was beating sure and strong and just a little bit fast. She smiled knowingly and then leaned forward to kiss him.

The kiss was exquisite. Not the tongue-tangled type but like a sweet promise of more to follow. She rested her forehead against his and sighed. This was good. This felt so completely right. They held each other for a few minutes and then sat side-by-side and talked about their feelings.

She said, "I was always just a tiny bit jealous of Sha're but I could never say anything. She was everything to you so I put all my feelings away and decided that we could be great friends instead. Then, when I saw how devastated you were after she died… well, it never was the right time to bring it up. Then Vala showed up and I could see that you had feelings for her." Daniel gave her a surprised look and choked on his drink. She suddenly looked worried. "Am I wrong?"

"No. Yes!" He looked away and seemed to get upset. "Vala has been a distraction. I can't say that I haven't felt something but really, she's not quite what she pretends to be. She's got a lot of issues. I do too, I guess. But, I have a feeling that if we ever started a relationship, it would be a disaster. Frankly, she scares the crap out of me!" He felt embarrassed admitting that but there it was. He looked at her and blushed again.

"She does? Wow! I really thought you liked her but you were afraid to admit it." She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "It's obvious how she feels about you."

"That's just it, Sam. I don't know if she's serious! There's all this inuendo and flirtation but she's like that with every guy she come across. I'm just another notch on her belt. Don't get me wrong, she's been great- a real asset to the program. And she's changed a lot; for the better, I might add. But we're so different! I don't know how many times she's got ahold of my credit card and bought stuff online. She doesn't ask. She just takes. I've had to ask her over and over again to return things she's taken from my office. I've found her sleeping in my quarters more than once and usually she's wearing some skimpy little thing that I've paid for with my card, unbeknownst to me until I got the bill. I don't think she really cares about me. I'm just someone she can use, just like all the other men she's ever had in her life."

Sam could see that he was upset but she didn't try to stop him. She knew that he rarely expressed his feelings and hearing him do it now made her see a side of him he rarely exposed. He needed this.

He signed and then said, "I admit that she's fun to have around. Things haven't been the same since she showed up. But, that was all planned as well. It drove me nuts when she slapped that marriage bracelet on me. Talk about feeling trapped! And she never said she was sorry."

"Maybe she doesn't know how."

"You're probably right about that," he said. "I doubt she's had much experience in that regard."

"That's kinda harsh, dontcha think? She's come a long way and she and I have become friends, somewhat. She still doesn't share much with anyone but I have a sense that you're more than a notch on her belt. I think she genuinely has feelings for you but she doesn't know how to go about expressing them without risking getting hurt." She poked him in the shoulder and said, "Like someone else I know."

He grunted and said, "I don't want to get involved with a woman that I can't be sure about, Sam. I don't know if she would remain faithful. I would wonder where she was and who she was with. I don't want to live like that. I want a solid relationship; one that I won't have to question."

She squeezed his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head.

0o0

They were running low on food and water when they decided to stop and knew from a previous visit that this little planet had both. As they approached, Daniel watched out the window and said, "There wasn't snow here before. Maybe we should try another spot."

Sam said, "As I recall, there's a fresh water lake up ahead and we can fill the tank there. Then we'll go look for food" She set the vessel down on the beach and after putting on as much clothing as possible to keep warm she pulled out the extraction hose while he grabbed the axe. Daniel made his way out into the ice and chopped a hole in it. It didn't take long for him to make a small opening for him to drop the hose into. Sam hit the power switch on the control panel. Soon, clean water was flowing freely into the tanks as he kept an eye on the intake valve. He knew from trial-and-error not to drop the hose as it would suck up silt from the bottom. He and Sam had previously put in hours unclogging the filtration system and he didn't want to make that mistake again.

The tanks took a while to fill and Daniel did his best to keep warm by flapping his arms and stomping his feet. Sam checked the air temperature and found it was well below freezing. He was lifting the hose out of the hole when he heard a loud sound below his feet. The ice was cracking and he turned towards Sam to tell her to shut off the intake when he fell through. The plunge into the icy water took his breath away and he immediately swallowed a mouthful of water as he struggled to find the surface. As spun around, he found a rope dangling in front of him so he grabbed hold and hung on.

She helped him to the ship and got him undressed and into the shower. He wasn't hypothermic but he's swallowed a lot of icy water and he was shivering badly. She checked on him to see if he needed help. "Daniel, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just trying to get warm."

She brought him a blanket to wrap up in and took his wet clothes and hung them up. Then she made a cup of herbal tea and waited for him to emerge. He had stopped shaking but she could tell he was tired and needed to rest for a while. He fell asleep but started coughing the next morning.

0o0

It took five days and they were some of the most harrowing Sam had ever experienced. Daniel had either been on his cot or in the chair next to the control console. He was running a fever of 101º and coughing almost constantly. She was sure he had pneumonia but she didn't have any medicine to fight that. He had insisted, though, that he be up front when they entered earth's atmosphere and Sam couldn't say no. She understood his anxiousness about their return and knew he had a lot of questions about what had happened on their home planet.

As the ship approached earth, they saw debris floating throughout the space around the planet. Confused, they stopped the ship and silently gazed out the window.

"This is earth, right?" Daniel stared, mouth agape, and wondered what he was looking at.

Sam didn't say anything, at first. It took a few minutes for her to realize that this debris was what was left of the 4,000 or more satellites that had orbited earth. Her mouth went dry as the truth of what had happened dawned on her.

"Sam?" Daniel, who was white as a sheet and clearly agitated, looked at his friend. She was visibly upset and seemed in shock.

"It's earth," she said. _'I can't believe this. It's just what we were afraid of.'_

Daniel turned back to the window and knew in his heart what he was looking at but he didn't want to believe it. ""Where's Hubble? Where's the space-station?"

"You're looking at it," Sam said as she tried to remain calm. "We're going to have to try to get closer. Hang on. I'll see if I can contact the SGC."

She radioed the SGC but all she got was static. Sam made course corrections and maneuvered their way through the scattered pieces of metal and other bits of flotsam around them. When they got through the exosphere, she noticed that the atmospheric visibility had been reduced noticeably. Clouds of smoke obscured their path as they descended and they went a long ways in before they saw clear patches above the landscape. As they continued, they found power plants in ruins as well as buildings and bridges. Airports were total carnage with all planes bombed to pieces. Military bases were no better. She flew towards Cheyenne Mountain first and saw that the scenery was barely recognizable. There was a gigantic crater where the mountain once stood and whole tracts of forest land had been turned into charred, black stumps. Half of Colorado Springs had burned down and Ft. Carson was no better. "I need a minute." She fled from the room and soon he heard the sound of retching.

He understood exactly how she felt as he looked out the window at the devastation outside. So much around them was now barely recognizable. Sam came back and Daniel put his arms around her as they gazed at their nightmare come true. They both wept silently for what once was. Finally he said, "I know the plan is to meet at Jack's. Maybe we should head there."

Sam nodded as she made the course corrections in the computer and watched the scenery below change. Whole areas of the High Plains had been untouched by whomever it was that attacked earth but there was still signs of decline. Crops hadn't been harvested from the previous fall and there were cars, trucks and other vehicles clogging the roadways.

The farther north-east they flew the fewer vehicles they saw. The plains gave over to large tracts of forest and small farms. Night had fallen as they approached Jack's neighborhood and they set the ship down about a mile away in a clearing surrounded by tall pines. She shut down the engines and looked over towards Daniel. He seemed to be staring off into the distance as she quietly approached him. "Daniel? I'm going for help. I'll be back as soon as I can."

His eyes snapped into focus and he said, "NO! I'm going with you!"

"You can't. Look at you! You're running a high fever and can barely walk. It's freezing outside."

"With your help, I can do it. Please, Sam. Don't leave me behind!"

She looked into his eyes that were red-rimmed and glassy. She knew that Carolyn would have her head on a platter if she did what Daniel was asking. "I can't." She saw the disappointment on his face and said, "I won't be gone long, I promise! The cabin is just down the road a short distance but it's too cold to take you out there. You could die. I'll be right back with help, okay?"

She waited for him to agree and when he finally nodded she leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."

He returned her smile as he lay on his cot and said, "I love you too. Hey, we made it home! You did it, Sam!" She smiled and said, "We did it. Now sit tight. I'll be right back." She reached for her 9mm handgun and put it in her waist band and then went out into the cold, wintry Minnesota night.

**Author's Note: In the two years since I've written this chapter, I've re-written it a LOT. I wasn't sure I wanted Daniel and Sam to get romantically involved but after a lot of thought, I think it would be natural for them to do so after being alone together for so long. They always got along well and it just seemed right. Let me know what you think.**


	10. A Good Landing

**Chapter Ten – A Good Landing**

Jack couldn't sleep. Ever since the attack, his nights were fraught with nightmares and the everyday stress level made for a lot of tossing and turning. He felt responsible for this little group of survivors but also for those in the local community who had survived and didn't understand what had happened. He knew that they knew who he was and what his former job had entailed, but that was over now. He wasn't an U.S. Air Force General anymore. He was just Jack O'Neill, struggling to keep his sanity while the world fell apart.

Having lots to do helped tremendously. He was always busy with one thing or another; from planting crops for next year's food supply to harvesting those same crops in the fall. It hadn't been a good year because of all the smoke and debris in the air but they had managed to get root cellars dug and food preserved. There were shelves full of canned and dried foodstuffs in different cellars scattered throughout the property and he was proud of the way everyone had pitched in. It was hot, sweaty work but he was sure they had enough to get through until next year when fresh food could be picked.

He worked with the others building enough small cabins on his property to house all the survivors. Illness occasionally struck and he tried to leave that to Carolyn and not worry about it all, but he still was concerned. Money was worthless so he bartered with survivors in the community for things that they needed; things he hadn't thought of when he was getting this place ready for whatever might come. And come it did. People in the neighboring towns walked around shell-shocked for months afterwards and more than a few took their own lives.

After a while, SG personnel quit coming and he figured that this was it. Very few people actually knew about this place. It had to be that way. He didn't want to leave anyone out but the property could only reasonably house a certain amount of people.

Winter had come on early this year but that wasn't all that unusual for Northern Minnesota. Game was plentiful and there were lots of lakes and streams to fish out of so they did get an adequate amount of protein in their diet.

All this ran through his mind like it had every night since he'd arrived. He had managed to gather a few survivors and then some on his 50 acres of forest land in northern Minnesota and the area had taken on the appearance of a small village. Tiny cabins were scattered through the landscape and they had built a dining hall and a bath house. Some of the men built a larger bunk house and Siler, Feretti and Harriman were staying in it. He knew that others from the SGC had also set up homesteads and had taken their families there, as well as other SGC personnel. He didn't know where they were though.

Carolyn had set up the living room as a clinic and helped out the community around them in trade for whatever anyone had to barter with. Cam's parents were in a cabin next to the dining hall. Cam, Vala and Teal'c had gone to Kansas to get them before heading north to Jack's place. The Mitchells both cooked for the group and he also helped out with keeping the generators and other small engines working. Cam and Carolyn lived in another cabin near the back of the property. Teal'c lived in one near them by himself. Vala lived in another one, alone.

Jack decided to go out for a check on the perimeter and stretch his legs. He slipped out the back door and smelled the clean, pine scented December air. It was very cold out and there had been snow the day before. It had begun snowing in October and had continued to pile up, making the roads almost impassable. The county didn't plow any more. Jack almost laughed at the thought. Maybe he could trade something for a snow plow. He'd have to ponder that for a while.

He nodded to Feretti who was standing guard in a tree stand about twenty yards from the main house and about 15 feet up a poplar tree. Feretti had showed up about a month after the attack, carrying a gang of turkeys in one arm and a shot gun in the other. Since then, he'd hunted for deer, moose and other wild game that kept protein in their diet and hides to trade with others in the area.

Jack quietly walked the lane towards the main road. He didn't get more than twenty yards up the road when he saw movement in the trees. He looked back at Feretti and saw the nod from his friend indicating that he'd seen it too. Jack stepped behind a large maple and waited to see what would happen. He heard the snap of some twigs and then somebody swear. As he stole a look around the tree, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Sam was coming towards him, stepping carefully over fallen branches and other forest debris, watching carefully where she was going. Jack stepped out of the trees and said, "I can't believe it. You actually made it home!"

"Jack!" She smiled and rushed forward, glad to see her friend. They hugged briefly and she said, "It's good to see you. I wasn't sure what I would find."

"Here, let's get you to the cabin and inside. The others will be glad to see you!"

"Others?" Sam wondered who else had made it.

"Yeah, we've got a few survivors."

"Wait! We have to go back for Daniel. He's pretty sick and I made him stay with the ship."

"Okay. Glad to hear the Space Monkey made it too." He followed her back to the ship and they went inside. Daniel was asleep on his cot and woke when Jack approached. Jack thought about all the anxiety and grief he'd been through in the last few months – how he'd worried over these two and almost wept with relief. He ran his left hand through his hair and said, "So, Daniel. Where've you been?" He cracked a smile until he saw how sick his friend was.

"Oh, you know how I love to travel." Daniel grinned as he clasped Jack's hand. "We took the scenic route home."

"At least you finally got here." He looked at Sam and said, "I don't think it's a good idea to try to walk back. I'll get Feretti on the radio and have him bring my truck."

0o0

The ride back to the cabin was quick. Jack drove with Feretti riding shotgun. Sam sat in the back seat of the quad-cab with Daniel leaning against her. After reaching the cabin, Feretti came around and helped get Daniel out of the vehicle and up onto the porch. Sam got the door and soon they were in the kitchen and carefully lowered Daniel onto a bench by the window. Within a few minutes, the commotion had wakened the household and a lantern was lit. Carolyn rushed forward with a medical kit and started checking the wayward travelers out.

Vala and Cassie cleared off the large, pine kitchen table and a mattress from one of the cots was placed on it. Daniel was hoisted up and over and Jack went out to start up the generator so that they would have adequate light for what they would need to do. Cassie started an IV and Jack and Sam helped cut Daniel's clothes off. Daniel was so relieved to finally be 'home' that he relaxed and wondered if it was all a dream. Everything seemed surreal – the flight in, finding Jack. Was any of it really happening?

The small group stood around the perimeter of the kitchen while Doctor Lam, Wendy Mitchell and Cassie worked on him and soon it was determined that the pneumonia was in both lungs. The room grew quiet as the others watched Carolyn take charge of the situation. She looked at Daniel's face and saw that he had passed out. After checking his pulse, she said, "He's just asleep. Sam? How long has he been sick?"

She explained how he'd fallen through the ice a few weeks back and caught a bad cold. Then he had gotten progressively worse. "Six day ago I brought his cot up next to the command chair. I think. All the days seemed to run together. He was wheezing badly and I didn't know what to do. I pushed the engines as hard as I safely could."

"You came by ship?" Cam asked. "Where'd you park it?"

"In a clearing about a mile west of here. I didn't think it would be safe to park it out front."

"Good idea. Nobody saw you land?" Cam was thrilled to know she had a ship.

"We were cloaked."

Carolyn interrupted and said, "We're very low on supplies. Did you bring anything with you?"

"Yes! I have food and medicine. Not much of either, though"

Jack looked at Feretti and Siler, "Can you two go unload the supplies?" He handed the truck keys to Siler.

"Count me in," Frank Mitchell said as he zipped up his jacket.

"Me, too," Cam said. "Anything for Sunshine here," he said as he patted the sheet covering Daniel's arm. Daniel never noticed as he slumbered on.

Sam said, "I'll show you on the map where it is."

They left and Carolyn checked Daniel's pulse again. "He's not really doing very good."

"What will you do?" Jack asked.

She crossed her arms in front of her and looked at Daniel as she spoke. "I'll get him started on oxygen and then see if we can get his fever down. I have some supplies, as you know. Just not very much."

Jack was quiet for a moment and then said, "Caro, we have a ship now. We can go get supplies."

"Where?"

"There are warehouses at Peterson. We should be able to find what we need. The Academy hospital, other places, too."

Sam said, "Cheyenne Mountain complex is gone. It looks like it imploded. There were burned buildings all over the place. I know where the warehouses are at Peterson but the base was pretty much gone." The shock of what they were hearing silenced the group.

Daniel had wakened and was listening. He opened his eyes and said, "Who did this, Jack?"

"The Wraith." Jack looked at Daniel and said, "Millions are dead or gone."

Cassie was sitting down in a chair along the wall and Daniel noticed that the young woman was very pregnant. Then he remembered that she and her fiancé had been planning a wedding a few weeks after he last talked to anyone at the SGC. "Cassie? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Daniel." She got up and quietly left the room. Sam followed her and he heard a door shut down the hall somewhere.

Daniel looked on as the dark haired doctor watched the young woman walk away. "Carolyn?"

"She showed up here about two months ago. She and Derrick were in Chicago. He was a resident at one of the hospitals and she worked as a surgical technician. They survived the attack but he was killed by looters. She walked here at night and hid during the day. She's due any time."

Daniel closed his eyes and uttered a silent prayer on her behalf. "How many made it here?"

Jack looked down at his tired friend and told him who had made it to the cabin. "There are a few people here in the neighborhood who survived. This part of Minnesota isn't exactly heavily populated. The Twin Cities were hit hard, some other places, too. But this little town was left pretty much alone."

"What about others? D.C.?" Daniel started coughing again and it took a few moments before he was calm.

"Siler got his HAMM radio going. There's not much left, Daniel. Just a few small groups of people scattered here and there. I doubt there's 100,000 people left in the U.S."

Daniel continued to keep his eyes closed and Jack wondered if he'd fallen back asleep. Then Daniel said, "Just like in my dream."

Sam came back into the room and stood at the end of the table with her hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Tell me what happened." Jack pulled up a chair and patted Daniel's arm. The others stood quietly and listened.

"We were on P22-718 and had just talked to you and General Landry. After signing off, we headed to where I was getting a Naquadria reading. We found a ship and headed home. Stopped in a few places. Tuplo sends his regards, by the way. So does Laira and her people." Sam continued to explain their trip while the others listened.

"It's good to know Edora didn't get attacked. I don't know for sure how far the Wraith went."

Carolyn said, "I hate to interrupt but we need to get Daniel cleaned up. He needs his rest, Jack."

Jack said. "Okay, everyone else out. I'm gonna get Daniel to the bathroom and get him into a tub. Y'all can visit later."

Carolyn looked at Daniel and said, "No tub. We'd never get him out of the thing. We can do a sponge bath right here. She left to get the bed in the living room ready and Sam went with her. Carolyn hadn't checked her vitals yet and she wanted to give Sam some privacy in case her friend wanted to talk. Jack got a bucket off the back porch and some shampoo out of the bathroom. He set the bucket on the floor beneath Daniel's head and got a pan full of warm water from the sink. "He said, "Sorry, I know this is easy so let's start with your hair and work our way down." He used the sheet to pull Daniel to the edge of the table and placed a rolled up towel underneath his neck. With Daniel's head suspended over the edge of the table, Jack poured some warm water over his scalp and then worked the shampoo into lather. Daniel closed his eyes at the ministration and relaxed as Jack massaged his scalp. Jack rinsed and then repeated the procedure, all the while catching the soapy water in the bucket and giving Daniel a monologue about his latest fishing success in the lake. Then he rubbed Daniel's hair with a towel and helped him sit up. Daniel was dizzy but Wendy came in and helped hold him up while Jack used a rag to wash Daniel's fevered body. Soon, Daniel was cleaned up, covered with a clean, dry sheet and a blanket, and dozing on the table. The water was dumped out and the mess cleaned up.

Soon, they heard Siler, Cam and Frank come in and carry the supplies down into the basement. When Sam came back into the kitchen, she saw a much improved Daniel lying asleep on the table and smiled. Jack watched from the corner of the room and wondered for a moment if there wasn't something going on between Daniel and Sam. They'd had over a year together in a small ship. Things must have happened. He watched as Sam whispered something in Daniel's ear and watched his younger friend smile. 'Yep. They've got a new history,' he thought. He turned to give them some privacy and picked up Daniel's ragged clothing and threw it into the fire on the hearth. "A lot of things have changed." Daniel's bed was ready so Siler carefully picked up his sick friend and carried him into the living room and place him in the bed. Carolyn get him settled and started the oxygen, placing the cannula underneath Daniel's nose. She gave him a dose of strong homemade cough syrup and a sedative and started a chart, making notes of all she'd done. All she could do now was keep an eye on him and let him rest.

0o0

Sam took a shower and was tempted to stay under the hot water for a while but she knew she needed to get some sleep. As she shut off the water and reached for the towel, she thought about how surprised she was to see everyone, especially Cassie. There was a shadow in the young woman's eyes; a deeper grief that someone her age shouldn't ever encounter. Poor thing. First, she lost everyone on her home planet and had to come to earth to start over when she was twelve years old. Second, her adoptive mother Janet had died. Now she lost her husband. Carolyn had told her a bit about it but she wanted to talk to Cassie herself, when the young woman was ready. That would have to wait.

Daniel was resting comfortably when Sam checked on him. She made sure he was okay before pulling up at cot and collapsing onto it. As she lay there, she thought about the last year and how things had changed. Everything was different now. She and Daniel were in love. Earth had been attacked by the Wraith. Not many people were left. It was almost too much to take in. In all the commotion, she'd forgotten to ask about Teal'c. She almost got up to go find Carolyn to ask where he was but decided that she was just too tired. It would have to wait a few hours.


	11. Familiar Ways

Chapter Eleven: Familiar Ways

For two days, Daniel drifted in and out of consciousness as his fever spiked and his body fought. Carolyn didn't have any antibiotics so they used snow and chunks of ice from the lake to cool him down. Sam hardly left his side and Carolyn found it endearing that when Daniel would start coughing and needed help, he always sought out Sam's hand to hold onto. He would search for her in his sleep and lean against her when he sat up. Finally, at the end of the second day, his fever stayed down and he fell into a more restful sleep.

He became aware of sound first, as was usually the case. He laid still and tried to identify what it was and where it was coming from. This didn't sound like the infirmary or smell like it either. The infirmary usually smelled like a combination of rubbing alcohol and bleach. Sometimes one of the nurses wore perfume and that stood out but this definitely wasn't it.

It dawned on him a few seconds later that what he was hearing was the play-by-play of a hockey game. It sounded like the game was in full swing. Jack must be watching the game. He wondered who they were playing tonight.

'_Tonight?'_ He looked at the window and saw that it was morning. _'That can't be right. The NHL doesn't have morning games.' _

He tucked that thought away when he opened his eyes and saw that Sam was sitting in a chair next to his bed holding his right hand and sleeping as she leaned against the bed. Her blond hair needed brushing and it had grown long on their trip, almost to her waist. He liked how she wore it in a single braid sometimes.

He slowly looked around the room and saw that they had put him in the living room of the cabin and he was in a hospital bed with a cannula under his nose for oxygen. An IV pumped fluids into the top of his left hand and he was clean and warm under the sheet and blanket. And naked. And he had to pee. 'Well,' he thought._ 'This is gonna get interesting.'_

He pulled the cannula off and tried to move his legs, wondering the whole time if he could make it to the bathroom without waking anyone up. He sure didn't want to be found in his birthday suit but he was getting pretty anxious. As he pulled back the covers to his waist, he realized that he was very weak. He started coughing and heard Sam say, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I gotta pee!" He coughed again and Sam pushed him back onto the pillow.

"Okay. Let me get a urinal." Sam looked in the cupboard next to his bed but didn't find one. 'Hold on."

"I can't. If I don't get into the bathroom right now, we're gonna have a mess to clean up."

"You mean, I'm gonna have a mess to clean up. Stay there. I'll go look in the cupboard in the bathroom." She reached into a dresser, threw a pair of sweat pants at him and said, "Put those on before you scare someone."

He didn't move and she realized that he couldn't. "Too weak? I should have thought of that. Damn!"

"Hey, what's wrong? You seem a bit upset."

She came over and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry. You scared me, is all. I'll be right back." She jumped up and left the room.

Jack entered a few minutes later with a urinal from the supply pantry and said, "I knew we'd need this one day." He handed it to Daniel and said, "Sam's getting you some breakfast. Carolyn's busy but she said you can't get up yet." He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and grinned. Then he noticed the pained look on Daniel's face and said, "What? You need someone to hold it for you?"

"NO! I just need a moment's privacy." Daniel felt like his bladder was going to burst and if Jack didn't leave him alone, he would let it.

"Okay, okay." Jack laughed at him as he went into the kitchen. "You are such a girl, Daniel!"

Daniel soon felt relief and Jack returned a few minutes later to take the container into the bathroom. He came out to see Daniel lying back in the bed with his eyes closed. He knew Daniel was awake. Years of intermittent periods of sitting next to Daniel's bed in the infirmary had taught Jack the difference. Daniel started coughing again so Jack went into the hallway and called for Carolyn.

Dr. Lam came out of the bedroom down the hall and said, "Okay, Cassie's in labor but it's gonna be a while before she's ready to deliver. She's only dilated two centimeters. We're in for a long day." She hurried into the living room with Jack closely following her.

Daniel was coughing and having a hard time catching his breath. The food tray was sitting on the dresser and Sam decided to wait until Carolyn was finished examining him before she fed him. His face had turned a bit purple and Sam was standing next to the bed. "He coughed most of the night."

"No doubt," Carolyn said. "I'm sure he'll calm down when we dose him up." She went to the table next to the bed and poured some cough syrup into a small plastic cup. Daniel made a face after swallowing it and Sam set the cup on the dresser. "Okay," she said. "We need to talk." Sam already knew about this and Carolyn decided that she had to tell him about Teal'c. This wouldn't be easy. "I don't know how much you've been filled in on our situation here. I have some news and I want you to remain calm."

Daniel looked at each of them and said, "What is it?"

"First, let me get you up to speed," Jack said. "You've been gone almost fourteen months, give or take a few days. A lot has changed in that time."

"Yeah, we got that," Daniel said and then coughed.

"Okay. After the attack, there were a few of us who showed up here and we've got a small settlement going. There are cabins scattered all over this parcel of land where this cabin sits plus a lot of the neighbors around here survived. I could tell you the names of all those who showed up but I have a typed list and you can read it later. It's quite a few. Since I arrived, we started a clinic here at the main house. We also have a separate dining hall with a kitchen, a bath house, a green house, a garage and we're working on a hospital. Well, it's more a clinic but I'll get my cabin back when it's finished. I wanted to knock a wall out and add on but she (he pointed to Carolyn) vetoed that in favor of a separate building. It'll be done in a few days and we'll move you over there. We want to bring in another patient but we want to talk to you about it first."

Jack and Carolyn were quiet and Daniel watched the emotions play across her face. He looked up at Sam and saw her look away. "It's Teal'c, isn't it?" He and Sam had talked about that possibility.

Carolyn said, "Yes. He's dying Daniel. We ran out of Tretonin a few days ago and we have no way of making more. Jack had quite a bit stockpiled but it's gone."

"Where is he?" Daniel asked.

Jack replied, "He's got a cabin a little ways back in the woods. Vala's been keeping an eye on him but Caro thinks he needs to be up here. She was waiting until you were better. I wanted to warn you before you saw him."

Daniel sat still for a moment and then nodded. Sam sat down in the chair next to the bed and took his hand. "He doesn't have long, Daniel."

Carolyn added, "Maybe a day or two at the most." She looked at Jack and said, "I need to get out there and check on him. I'll let you know when we're ready." She left the room and soon they heard the back door open and close.

Daniel leaned back into the pillow and sighed. He closed his eyes and felt so weary. He was physically drained and now this. He looked over at Sam and saw that she was resting her chin on her hands, deep in thought.

Jack said, "At least you'll get to see him one more time."

Daniel didn't know what to think or say. All this was a bit too much. Sam stood and took the tray off the dresser and set it in front of Daniel.

"I'm not hungry." His appetite had been almost non-existent because of the pneumonia and now the news about Teal'c had definitely put a damper on it.

"You still have to eat," Jack said. "You've lost some weight. I don't suppose you could have stopped somewhere?"

"Oh sure. McDonald's hasn't exactly set up their franchise on Venus, ya know?" Daniel coughed after his remark and then took a sip of the coffee. He almost spit it out and said, "That's terrible!"

"Yeah, well, we ran out of coffee months ago. That's a recipe that Bill Lee came up with. It's roasted corn cobs or something. It's not the same but some like it." Jack took the cup from Daniel and finished it off. After a theatrical grimace, he said, "We have plenty of water for tea if you want some."

"I'll pass, thanks." He felt like he should apologize. "I'm sorry. I know you and the others have had to do without what, just about everything?"

"We've adjusted. Life is definitely simpler." He got up and said, "I'm going to let you eat. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."

Jack left and Sam looked at Daniel and smiled. She noticed that Daniel looked very depressed so she leaned forward and kissed his nose. "I'm sorry. I know how hard this is. We're the original flagship team and we're losing one of us. It was going to happen eventually but I hoped it would be a long time before it did."

"You forget that I was gone a couple of times," Daniel said. He toyed with his scrambled eggs and put his fork down. After pushing the tray away, he settled down in the bed and sighed. "You're right, though. We always take things for granted, don't we?"

"Well, they must have given up on us returning, too. I imagine it's been hard for them. We have a lot of friends here."

He nodded and then leaned his head back on the pillow. The cough medicine was starting to work and he felt a little sleepy. Sam kissed his cheek and went to take the tray away when he held her wrist. She looked at him and said, "What?"

"Wake me when they bring him in, okay?"

"I will," she said as she tucked him in and gave him another kiss, this time on the mouth. "By the sounds of it, it won't be long."


	12. The End of a Dream

**I do not have a beta so I hope this chapter is okay.**

The End of a Dream

The morning after Sam and Daniel arrived; Vala woke up and slowly stretched. There was one advantage to sleeping out here in the forest away from all the other cabins. It was quiet and blessedly so. She saw that it was almost seven o'clock and quickly rose, made her bed and got dressed. Stepping out onto the porch in the dark, she surveyed the scene before her. It had snowed overnight but just enough to cover the ground under the trees. Most of the rocks and roots were still showing and the air was cold and smelled of pine trees. She pulled on her heavy coat and walked over to Teal'c's cabin where she quietly let herself in. She peeked into his bedroom and saw that he was still asleep. After carefully checking his pulse and blood pressure, she made notes on his chart. He slept through it all and so she went into the kitchen to stir the fire and get a pot of water going for tea.

It wasn't long before she heard the hum of a 4-wheeler, both arriving and leaving indicating that someone had just been dropped off. Carolyn knocked and entered the snug, little cabin and hung up her coat. "Good Morning. How are you today?"

Vala was cooking scrambled eggs in an iron skillet by the fire and said, "I'm fine." She gave a tilt of her head towards the bedroom and said, "He's still asleep.

The doctor read the chart and said, "Has there been any change?"

"No, aside from his sleeping more. He didn't eat much dinner last night and was asleep soon after. I stayed until midnight and gave him his pain medication. He insisted that he was fine alone so I went over to my cabin."

Carolyn nodded and then went into the bedroom. Vala plated the eggs, covered them with a lid and followed Carolyn. She watched as the doctor placed the stethoscope against her friend's chest. Carolyn wrote in the chart and said, "He's a bit dehydrated and we need to get some fluids in. I think it's time to move him up to the main house."

Vala watched as Carolyn used her radio to contact the Jack. Teal'c woke and Vala offered him his breakfast, which he waved away. "Fine, Muscles, but you don't know what you're missing."

Teal'c smiled and said, "Indeed. I appreciate your help but I am not hungry." He watched as Vala's eyes grew troubled.

Carolyn continued to check her patient and said, "I would you to get up for a few minutes while we change your bedding. Would you like to take a shower?"

"Indeed. That would be nice." Teal'c stood and Vala helped him into the small bathroom. She got him some clean boxers and pajamas and then stood by the door while he used the bathroom and showered. Soon, he was ready to sit in the recliner chair by the fire while Carolyn and Vala finished cleaning up the bedroom.

About ten minutes later, Cam and Jack showed up in Jack's SUV.

"How's he doing?" Jack asked as he came in.

"Okay for now but I still want to move him. Can you two get him into your vehicle?"

"Yeah, sure." Jack went into the bedroom to visit with Teal'c before they left.

Cam smiled. "It'll be like old times. He and Daniel can have beds next to each other."

Vala's eyes nearly popped as she said, "Daniel? He's here?" She sat down the plate of eggs she'd been eating and wiped her hands on a towel.

"Yeah, Sunshine showed up a few hours ago. He and Sam are up at the big house."

She reached for her coat and was ready to rush out the door when Cam stopped her. "Vala, sit down. We need to talk."

"No, I want to go see him." She read his face and immediately sensed that she didn't want to hear whatever it was that he had to say. She could also hear it in the tone of his voice.

"Sit! Please?" He held a chair out to her and so she sat, reluctantly and with a pout.

He sat across from her and took her hand. "Okay. Here's the situation. He has pneumonia in both lungs. He and Sam have been on half rations for the last month. They weren't anywhere near where they could get food so they just kept going. When they finally did stop for food and water, it was winter on the planet and Daniel went through the ice. He's pretty sick.

"Well, that's all the more reason for me to get up there! He needs my help."

He locked eyes with her and said, "He has Sam."

"Yes, but now he's home. I can take care of him."

Carolyn took a seat next to Cam and said, "Vala, he has Sam." She looked into the other woman's eyes and hoped that she could get through to her. "They're a couple, Vala."

Vala frowned and said, "A couple?" _'No, no, no. They're friends! That's all.'_

"Yes, Princess," Cam said with genuine sadness for her. "They fell in love while they were away. They've been friends for years and it's developed into something more." He watched as her face showed all the disappointment that she surely felt in her heart. He saw her get up and go to the window to gaze out at the wintery weather. Tears were in her eyes and there was nothing he could do to remedy the situation. He knew from past experience that she would want a few moments to compose herself so he waited quietly. When she was ready, she would need her friends. "Look, I'm gonna give you a few minutes. I need to see what we have to do to move Teal'c so I'll be in his room. You okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "Of course." Inside though, her heart was broken into a million pieces. "Go ahead."

Cam hesitated. He knew she wasn't okay but he'd take the time to talk to her when he could.

Teal'c was talking to Jack about Sam and Daniel's return and explained about Daniel being sick. "Just like old times," Jack said.

Teal'c said, "I would like to see Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter. And please tell Vala to come in. I need to talk to her."

Cam entered the room and said, "Are you strong enough to take her on? She's pretty upset."

"You underestimate my strength, Colonel Mitchell."

Jack grinned and said, "He's a stubborn old bull."

Teal'c smiled and said, "Indeed. Please send Vala in."

The two men got up and went into the other room to notify Vala that she'd been summoned. They waited on the porch with Carolyn so that they could be near if Teal'c needed them.

Vala came in and sat on the side of the bed to listen to her old friend. "You asked for me?" she said as she lowered her eyes. She knew what he was going to say, or thought she did. Teal'c was always straight and to the point with her but never mean. She could trust him to tell her the truth in any situation and the thought of his becoming weaker by the day was tearing her up.

Teal'c studied her for a moment from his chair and then said, "Vala, look at me." He watched her struggle and then smiled faintly when she raised her sad eyes to his. "You are a very strong woman and you need to continue to be." He thought about the fifty years on the Odyssey and how Vala and Daniel had fallen in love. This was no different except that Daniel had been alone with Sam and was now in love with her. But, Vala didn't know about the relationship with Daniel that she'd had in the alternate timeline. And he couldn't tell her, especially now. He took Vala's hand and continued, "You are as close to me as any sister could be and I do not like to see you unhappy. Someday, you will find a man worthy of you. Daniel Jackson is in love with Samantha Carter and you must accept that."

Tears slid down her face as she said, "I don't want to accept that. I know he has feelings for me."

"At one time, he did. Be that as it may, he no longer feels the same. They have been together for over a year and that is a long time to spend alone with another person. In that time, many things can happen. Surely you understand that."

She nodded and looked away as the tears continued to flow. "I had just gotten used to the fact that he was gone - that I would never see him or Sam again. I didn't want to accept it at first, but I was finally coming to terms with it. Now he's back and he's in love with her." She leaned forward, elbows on knees and covered her face. "You've lost people you loved before. How do you deal with it?"

"You are no stranger to loss, Vala Mal Doran. You take one day at a time. You only have to do that. Nothing more. Eventually, the hurt lessens. At some point you may find yourself in love with another and this will feel distant." Teal'c continued to hold her hand as they sat quietly. Birds were singing outside and it was peaceful.

She looked over at him and saw the slow rise and fall of his chest telling her that he was asleep,

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and wondered what she would do without this gentle giant in her life. She heard Carolyn return to the cabin so she went out into the other room. "He's asleep again. How long does he have Caro?"

"Not long. Maybe a few days at the most. I'm glad Daniel and Sam made it back in time for him to see them. And they him. And I'm gonna need your help. Cassie's in labor which is another reason why I want Teal'c at the main house. I can keep an eye on all three of them that way.

Jack and Cam stepped into the room behind her and saw that Teal'c was waking up. Jack said, "Hey, T. Are you ready for a field trip?"

"I do not understand why you would be taking me to a field, but I am ready to go up to the main house."

Carolyn smiled at the two laughing men standing in the doorway and said, "I think he actually made a joke. Can you help him up?"

They stepped forward to help Teal'c dress in warm clothing and they each took an arm as they went onto the porch. It was still slow job getting him out of the cabin and into the front seat of the SUV. Carolyn rode in the back seat and Jack climbed into the driver's seat. The sun was up and shining through the trees, making the new-fallen snow twinkle like diamonds. Vala thought it was beautiful and sighed as she and Cam walked behind the slow moving vehicle.

Cam put his arm around his friend and said, "I know things haven't been easy for you. You're a trooper, though. You never complain and you work harder around here than some of the rest. I'm proud of ya."

She wiped her eyes and said, "Oh, you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"True. But you _are_ a great help. You've been taking care of Teal'c and helping out at the clinic. Caro said you're as good as any of the nurses at the SGC. You learn fast and are good at keeping the charts. She's impressed."

She felt good that she could assist where she was needed. She'd also helped with canning and drying their food stores for the winter and building the cabins, too. Their next project was a separate clinic from the house, something that could hold more than a couple of patients.

Val stood to the side and Cam noted that she hung back and watched as the SUV was being unloaded. She waited in the kitchen while the others maneuvered Teal'c into the other room and into his bed. Before the swinging door that separated the two rooms closed, she could just make out the end of the bed where Daniel must be laying so she stayed back. She wasn't ready for that reunion. Not yet. She needed time to get used to the idea that he didn't love her like she thought he did. And he never would now. That dream was at an end and once again, her heart was broken.


	13. What happened?

**Chapter Thirteen: What Happened?**

Sam woke Daniel when Teal'c was brought into the house and the younger man watched silently as his warrior brother was helped into bed. Soon afterwards, Teal'c appeared to be asleep as Daniel observed Carolyn using her stethoscope to listen to his heart and lungs and saw her wince. "How is he?"

"I am fine, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c opened his eyes and smiled at his friend.

Carolyn glared at Teal'c and said, "You are stable but I wouldn't say "fine." I'm half-tempted to hook you up to an IV to make sure you get your fluids. Will you promise me you'll drink more water?"

"Indeed." He looked at Daniel again and said, "It is good to see you, my friend. And, you as well, Samantha. It appears that you are also in need of medical assistance, Daniel Jackson."

"Um, yeah. I'm fine."

"Listen to him, Teal'c. He gets stranded on another planet, nearly freezes to death in an ice covered pond on his way home, and he's fine." Jack shook his head in wonder and said, "Maybe you should tell us about your trip, Carter."

Sam said, "Well, as you know, we were stranded. We tried and tried to open the gate. I did a diagnostic on the DHD but nothing worked. Wait, that's not quite true. It worked for other planets, just not earth."

Daniel interjected, "But not the Alpha site."

"That's right," added Sam. "I found a strong reading from a hill in the distance and Daniel and I excavated a Goa'uld cargo ship. I got it working and we headed home."

Daniel had his eyes closed but he opened them and said, "First, we went to Tuplo's planet. They were pretty surprised to see us but very congenial."

Sam said, "They supplied us with everything we would need for the trip. That lasted about two months and by that time, we were near Laira's planet. They needed some help with the harvest and other things, so we stayed and helped out in exchange for food and water for the next leg of the trip. Daniel had a notebook with an index of all the planets the SGC teams had been to and the conditions on each one so we hopped across the galaxy and here we are."

"Did you meet any un-friendlies out there?"

"No, we didn't," answered Daniel. "Jack, what happened here? I've heard bits and pieces but I'd like to hear the whole story."

Jack told them the long tale of all that had happened, from the first sightings of the ships to how the attack happened; the trek to Minnesota and how the others eventually showed up; how they built up the settlement; how the survivors were working together, for the most part, to keep in contact. "We have a few extremists out there, of course, but they don't bother our little group."

"Why not? It seems to me that they'd be clamoring to get their hands on all this." Daniel waved his hand about indicating the environment around him.

Jack smiled and said, "Well… we put the word out that we're all active military. We've also said that anyone who wants to live here in the neighborhood is welcome to come if they're willing to live peaceably and help out. We have plenty of work to do. Right now, Siler and Feretti and a few others hunt and we trade the salted hides for shoes and boots. We have a leather dealer over in Mankato who is glad to get the hides. We have lots of farm animals too that need to be taken care of. The Wraith didn't kill those so we rescued them. We had to butcher some of them but the meat was canned and dried and the hides traded. In the spring, we'll have crops and gardens to put in. Bill Lee has been helping out at the local school teaching some of the classes. We're all a bit overworked so your help will be appreciated." He looked pointedly at Daniel and said, "Eventually. You need to get well first."

"I'm working on it." Daniel smiled and then grew serious. "Did they ever come back?"

Jack said, "Who? The Wraith? No, but there aren't that many people left. Those they didn't take, they killed." He grinned and added, "Not all of us, obviously."

Teal'c said, "There is a difference of opinion as to how many Taur'i survived. Some believe that very few are alive. Others believe that there are many more than originally thought."

"Either way, the Wraith haven't returned. Frankly, I think they got what they came for. They culled the whole planet and they don't need to come back. We still have look-outs stationed around to watch for them but I don't think we'll have any further problem."

Daniel was quiet as he took it all in. He couldn't seem to comprehend the fact that most of the people he knew were gone. "What about Hammond and Landry and all those at the SGC?"

"Gone," Jack replied. "When the news came out about what we had been working on for the last ten years- well, suffice it to say it didn't go over very well. People were angry that they'd been kept in the dark. There were hearings and it got really ugly. George had a fatal heart attack last summer. We're not exactly sure what happened at the mountain but it imploded and we lost hundreds of airmen and marines, Landry included. We think they came through the gate and he set the self-destruct."

Daniel looked away, shocked. He'd come to think of George Hammond as a father-figure. The gentle, older man had been well respected by Daniel and so many others and the thought of him being gone was almost too much to think about. Hank Landry had been Daniel's boss but he was congenial and respected, as well. Daniel gazed at the fire as Sam rubbed the knuckles on his hand. He looked at her and saw that she had tears running down her face. He'd forgotten how close she was with George. Her father had served with him during the Vietnam era and he'd been to her father's home many times as she was growing up. George's daughters were her age and they had been friends. Now they were all gone and it was very difficult for Sam to keep the emotions walled-off to deal with later. The U.S. Air Force was gone, as well as all the other military divisions. Most of their friends were gone. The earth was a very different place from the one they left all those months ago. How would they cope with the changes?

0o0

Vala had been standing in the kitchen listening to the conversation in the living room but turned and started down the hallway towards Cassie's bedroom, hoping for a place to hide herself away while keeping busy.

Cassie was lying in the bed leafing through an old fishing lure catalog. A book by Shakespeare was lying next to her and a stack of old magazines were on a chair near the door.

"May I come in?" Vala didn't want to intrude but she and Cassie had become like sisters and Cassie was glad to see her.

"Yes! Please. Dr. Lam said I could get up and walk around but only if I had someone with me. She said it would help move my labor along."

"Well then, let us do just that. Shall we head for the kitchen?" Vala knew she would be bored out of her mind if she had to stay cooped up in her room. She helped the younger woman into a robe that must have belonged to Jack. It was red plaid and almost closed all the way across Cassie's rather large abdomen. They shuffled into the kitchen and Cassie took a chair while a strong contraction took over. When it was finished, she slipped her feet into a pair of loafers and they went out onto the back porch. The fresh air was wonderful and a joyful contrast to the smell of wood smoke, bacon and other odors that accumulate inside a house after weeks of being lived in. Soon though, the two of them were ready to return to the warmth of the kitchen fireplace and Vala had Cassie comfortably cossetted in a corner armchair with a cup of herbal tea. Vala could hear the commotion going on in the living room as the others got Teal'c settled into the other hospital bed.

Jack came into the kitchen and kissed Cassie on the cheek. "How's our little mama doing?"

Cassie was about to answer when another contraction stilled her and he monitored it with his wrist watch. She panted and cried out as it sharpened but then relaxed.

"Hey, you're moving right along. That was a good one, huh?"

"I guess," replied the young woman breathlessly. "Never did this before, ya know."

Carolyn had watched quietly after entering and asked, "How long between contractions?"

"Almost a minute." Vala patted Cassie's hand and said, "Maybe this will happen sooner than you thought?"

"It's possible. Some babies are fast. How do you feel, Cass?"

"Like I have to push." Cass set her tea on the table and Vala helped her stand up.

"It's kind soon for that. Let's get you back in bed and I can check."

Within a few moments, there was a flurry of activity. It happened so fast that it took everyone by surprise. When Carolyn checked, Cassie was fully dilated and she coached her through the delivery process. Soon, the cabin was filled with the sound of a newborn baby's cries and everyone in the living room waited to hear how mother and child were doing.

The door to Cassie's room opened and Sam came down the hallway smiling. "Cassie delivered a healthy baby girl. They're both fine and I'll bring her out in a little bit so you can meet her." She quietly turned and went back into the room where the rest of the women were busy with the new arrival.

Finally, the door opened and Carolyn and Sam came out. As they exited the hall and entered the living room, Carolyn carried a tiny bundle and took her to Teac's side. "Meet the newest member of the settlement: Alicia Lynn Campbell."

Teal'c smiled at the baby and gazed into her eyes. "May you grow strong and wise, Little One. May your paths lead to prosperity and your heart be filled with joy."

"That's beautiful, Teal'c," Sam said.

"It is a traditional Jaffa blessing," Teal'c said as he laid back and watched as the two woman walked over to Daniel's side to show him the new baby.

Daniel gazed at her in awe and said, "She's beautiful!" He looked up at Sam and asked, "Is she healthy?" He looked at Carolyn for confirmation and smiled as the doctor nodded.

"She's perfect. Her features aren't even swollen. It was a very fast labor and delivery. Maybe that's normal for Cassie's people, I don't know." She noticed that Daniel seemed a bit emotional. "Are you okay, Daniel?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He looked down and then away. "I just remember that Sha're miscarried a couple of times during that year we were together. The babies were both girls."

Sam reached for Daniel and caressed his forearm. "I'm sorry."

He looked up at her and said, "It was a long time ago."

Carolyn headed for Jack and said, "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Come to Grandpa, " Jack said as he took the baby and held her. He turned and looked at Daniel and said, "Don't. I'm one of the oldest men around and I said it first so there." He kissed the tiny girl and then handed her to Carolyn.

The doctor turned and headed back towards Cassie's room with the baby. Sam sat on the side of Daniel's bed and said, "Are you okay?"

Daniel squeezed her hand and said, "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. I'm just trying to take all this in. A few days ago we were just returning to earth. Now, we're here and a lot has happened."

"I know. It's kinda hard to wrap my head around it all." Sam leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "Vala's sitting with Cassie. Do you want to talk with her?"

"Yes, but whenever she's ready. It would be nice to see her."

"I'll go tell her." Sam left the room but came back a few minutes later and said, "Later. Right now, she's helping out with Cassie."

Daniel frowned and then turned toward Teal'c to see the big man watching him. "What?"

"Vala mourned for you while you were gone. She was sure she would never see you or Samantha again."

Daniel paused and said, "I wasn't sure we were going to get home. The last few days were pretty rough."

Sam sat next to him and patted his arm. "I was afraid I was going to lose him."

"Indeed. O'Neill told me of your return. I am pleased that you both were able to return before my death."

"Teal'c…" Daniel turned onto his right side and faced his friend. "I…"

"There is no point in trying to pretend that this is not so. Without Tretonin, I cannot survive. I would ask you a favor, Daniel."

"Anything." Daniel was eager to hear whatever it was Teal'c had to say. It had been such a long time since they'd seen each other and he was so glad to be home.

"I do not wish to be cremated. I would like to be buried in a tomb. And, I would like you to officiate at my funeral service."

Daniel was completely taken by surprise. "Why? I mean… cremation is your traditional way. The Tauri sometimes cremate those who die, that's true. But why do you want to be entombed?"

"I have come to respect my Tauri brothers and sisters and I want to assure you that I mean no disrespect to those Tauri who cremate their dead. O'Neill conveyed to me how you buried Sha're. I also was able to watch a recording of the service for General Hammond and the memorial service for General Landry. And of course, I remember Doctor Fraiser's funeral, as well. Those ceremonies were dignified and showed a great deal of affection towards those who died. I have given this much thought." Teal'c paused for a moment, visibly moved. "I will always be Jaffa. But, the last few years I have become very disillusioned by my Jaffa brethren and their behavior. I wish to be entombed after my death."

Daniel was quiet as he thought about all Teal'c had said. When he spoke, it was with pain in thinking of the impending loss of his dear friend. "You do know that Carolyn will not let me out of here for a funeral any time soon."

Jack was standing in the doorway and had heard the entire exchange. He said, "We can put your body in cold storage and wait until spring, if you like, Teal'c. That's not unusual in these parts. Or, we can find a cemetery with above ground crypts and do that. We have a lot of those around here. It's your choice."

Sam looked at Jack and said, "Are you sure you're out of Tretonin? Maybe you misplaced a crate of it somewhere?"

"I checked. It was all kept with the medical supplies and the food which I have stored under the barn in a hidden bunker. I made sure to keep a close eye on it. It's all gone, Carter."

Daniel looked away towards the fireplace as his eyes seemed to mist over a bit. It took him a moment to get himself under control and when he was ready, he said, "I'd be honored to conduct your funeral service, Teal'c."

"I am greatly pleased."

Daniel got out of bed and with Sam and Jack's help, stood next to Teal'c's side. He grasped Teal'c's forearm and Teal'c grasped his. The four of them smiled and hugged each other. Then Jack helped Daniel back into his bed.

"I think this calls for a celebration. And I have just the thing." He went into the kitchen and Daniel wondered what he was up to. When Jack returned to the living room, he was carrying a tray with four bowls of chocolate chip ice cream. He handed them each one and said, "Here's to SG-1. We were awesome!"

"Here, here," said Daniel as Sam grinned.

"Indeed," said Teal'c.


	14. Grief and Remedies

Chapter Fourteen: Grief and Remedies

Siler had hooked up the Naquadah generator so that it ran the power for the house, the mess hall/kitchen and the barn. The other cabins were small enough that they used fireplaces and woodstoves to heat them and battery operated lights or kerosene lanterns. Cots would be placed in the mess hall when it got bitterly cold or during snow storms. Everyone was prepared for winter and there was enough food canned, dried and smoked to get everyone through.

Teal'c hung on for two more days but his breathing became labored and he was running a high fever be the evening of the second day. Carolyn had moved his hospital bed into Jack's bedroom for privacy and she, Jack and the others had taken turns keeping vigil.

Daniel woke up in the middle of that night and felt the presence of someone sitting on his bed and opened his eyes to see Sam sitting there. Jack was standing to the side and they were talking quietly. When Sam turned and saw that he was awake, she reached for his hand and said, "We thought we should wake you. Teal'c won't last much longer and we thought we should all be together. Are you up to coming into his room?

Daniel couldn't speak. He slowly got out of bed and headed towards the hallway with his friends following him. When he stepped into the room, he saw that Vala sat on the edge of the bed and wept while Cam stood behind Carolyn as she kept track of Teal'c's vitals. Soon, others quietly entered the house and stood around the living room and in the hallway. Cassie came out of her room carrying the newborn and Daniel gave up his chair for her so that she could sit next to Sam. He moved to sit at Teal'c's feet and watched at the monitor showed Teal'c's heartbeat slowing down. He reached over for Sam's hand and saw her bottom lip trembling so he stepped into the corner with her and held her as she wept quietly into his shoulder. He thought about the little details in the room because he wanted to remember them. He felt the rough nap of the area rug beneath his toes and thought that it felt a little like sandpaper. The rug was cold so he knew that the bare floors must feel like ice but it was odd that he hadn't noticed as he entered the room. Candles gave a warm glow to the area and he thought_, 'That must be something Jack did. I remember him joking once that he wondered why the smoke detectors didn't go off in Teal'c's quarters. Teal'c said he took out the batteries.'_ Daniel smiled at the memory and felt himself tear up. The room smelled like vanilla and he remembered Cassie always bought Teal'c a large vanilla scented candle for Christmas. Soon, they would have their first Christmas without him.

Cam started to sing "Amazing Grace," which seemed strange at first, since Teal'c had never professed being a Christian but it was a song that usually comforted others and nobody seemed to mind. Soon, the others joined in quietly and before they reached the end of the song, Teal'c was gone. Vala rested her head on Teal'c's chest and sobbed as Jack got out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. Cassie and her baby went back to their room; the others went back to their cabins and before long the members of SG-1 were the only ones left in the cabin.

After about twenty minutes, Carolyn came back into the room and said, "Daniel, I hate to chase you out of here but you were running a fever this morning and you really shouldn't be out of bed."

He nodded, gave Sam a kiss on the forehead, and quietly went back into the dark living room.

As he went to the window, he watched the sky go from black to cobalt blue and saw that it had snowed heavily overnight giving everything a frosted ethereal appearance. The moon was full and he could see the yard clearly in the distance. Movement in the trees caught his attention and he watched as a huge white tail buck stepped out on the lawn and pawed at the snow covered ground. As it browsed for food, he noticed the fourteen or so tines on the antlers. Smiling, he wiped the fog from the window and stood wrapped in his blanket until the buck wandered off. One minute it was there and then it just seemed to disappear into the trees.

He turned back to put a log on the fire and found Sam watching him from her cot so he got in his bed and waved her over. She climbed in next to him and he covered them both with the blankets. She rested her head on his shoulder and he whispered, "I can't believe Teal'c's gone."

Sam nodded and soon he could feel her tears on his neck. "I'm gonna miss him."

He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Me too."

0o0

They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms but Sam woke when she heard Jack in the hallway. Soon, the bathroom door opened and closed and minutes later, the sound of the shower could be heard. She got out of bed and tucked the blankets around Daniel and padded into the kitchen to turn on the light over the sink. She put water in the tea kettle and then stirred the fire in the grate. After adding a log to the embers, she set the kettle near the glowing coals, all the while making sure to keep quiet. She looked out the window and saw that the sun was just rising and the sky was pink and yellow beyond the trees. After fixing herself a cup of English breakfast tea, she went into the living room to see that Daniel was still sleeping. As she drew closer, she could feel the heat coming off him and swore. _'He's running another fever._' She would wait a little while to contact Carolyn as she knew that the doctor had been up after she and Daniel had gone to bed. _'She must be exhausted,'_ she thought as she went back into the kitchen to get some aspirin. She also got a cool, wet rag and then headed back into the living room.

By this time, Jack was coming out of the bathroom and saw her wiping Daniel's forehead. He whispered, "Good morning," as he approached. "Another fever?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "He should have stayed in bed last night."

"Yeah, right. You and who else were going to stop him?"

Sam smiled. "I know." Sam started to tear up but took a deep breath and said, "Is Teal'c still in his room?"

"Yeah. I'll have Siler help me move his body to the funeral home this afternoon. I already made arrangements to keep his body there until spring."

Sam nodded and then watched Daniel mumble something in his sleep. "His fever is pretty high."

Jack nodded and said, "I'll go give Caro a call. I know she'll be tired but she gave specific instructions before she and Cam headed to their cabin that we were to call her if his fever came back."

Sam replied. "I don't think there's much more she can do. Let her rest."

0o0

Jack had an old movie going on the flat screen TV that was mounted on the kitchen wall. It was an old John Wayne western and the bad guys were shooting up the landscape as Jack stirred the scrambled eggs. The volume was turned low and the tea kettle was spitting which told Jack it was getting ready to whistle. He grabbed it with a hot pad and moved it away from the fire. The room was warm and Jack thanked God that he'd had enough foresight to find a cast-iron wood burning stove to install in the kitchen. This one was like his grandmother's stove that he remembered from long ago when he stayed weekends at her house. It had a water reservoir on the side and six burners to cook on. Cam's mother was a great cook and she often used it to bake bread and fix huge dinners for the gang. They had traded some mechanical work that Cam's dad did to get another one for the dining hall so they were set. He known the propane wouldn't last long and he was right. A month after they got there, the tank was empty. Now they didn't have to worry about it. They were surrounded by thousands of acres of trees and they wouldn't have to worry about firewood for a long, long time.

Cassie came out of her room with her baby and sat in the rocker by the window. The baby had been fed and changed and she planned on giving her a bath after breakfast. Breakfast was ready so Jack covered the enormous cast iron frying pan and held his hands out. Cassie gave Alicia over and smiled as Jack propped the baby on his left shoulder and gently bounced her as he walked around the kitchen. He hummed tunelessly as Cassie fixed herself a mug of tea and watched as she sat back in the rocker. _'She looks tired. No wonder, too. It was a rough night for everyone.'_ He walked into the living room and saw Carolyn and Sam speaking quietly in the corner near Daniel's bed. Daniel was awake but he didn't look good. His eyes were glassy and his hair was damp with sweat. "Is he contagious 'cause if he is, I'm getting this baby out of here."

Carolyn said, "No, I don't think so. He's just a bit run-down so it's taking a little longer to fight it off. Fevers always seem worse at night. We did get him to eat some toast and then take the aspirin so that should help pretty soon. Pneumonia can sometimes linger but we're doing all we can to fight it."

"Well, I thought I'd just let you know that breakfast is ready for anyone who's hungry."

Daniel started coughing and Jack watched as he friend's face turned red and purple. After the coughing fit, Daniel looked wiped out so Carolyn said, "Jack, would you happen to have any whiskey?" Her sly smile showed her sarcasm because everyone there knew he had a bit stashed away.

"Yeah, there's an open bottle in the cupboard above the broom closet."

Carolyn nodded and said, "Time to make some strong cough syrup. Do you have any honey and lemon."

"Plenty of honey. No lemon though. But I do have cider vinegar. Jack looked at Daniel and said, "Whiskey, huh? That should knock him right out."

"I know it's an old fashioned remedy but I it generally works. You warm it up and sip it. It helps with the cough if you use enough honey to coat the throat."

Carolyn headed for the kitchen to mix her concoction. Jack reached for the bottle and then watched as Carolyn got out a sauce pan and put the ingredients together.

"How about chicken soup?" he asked. "My granny swore by it."

"Good idea."

Jack handed Alicia to her mother and grabbed his jacket. As he went out on the back porch he saw Wendy Mitchell feeding the dogs and asked her if she wanted to help make a big pot of chicken soup. Wendy agreed and soon was in the barn plucking a chicken. Jack stood at the window and talked to Cassie about what ingredients to use. He knew how to make it, of course, but he wanted Cassie to feel like her opinion counted.

"Mom always put a little rosemary in hers," Cassie said. "And a bay leaf."

Jack headed down to the cellar to get the dried onions and celery flakes and a few carrots. He went back upstairs and grabbed a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary from the dried plants in the sun room and headed for the kitchen. Wendy had returned by this time and was washing the chicken in the sink. Jack grabbed a large stock pot from the pantry and added a little olive oil to the bottom. He stoked the fire in the stove and they started chopping up the chicken and the vegetables. The celery and onion went into the pot first with some olive oil and Jack stirred that while Wendy put all the chicken into a bowl and washed the cutting boards with soap and water. Jack added the chicken and stirred the pot. Wendy added the herbs and water and soon the kitchen was warm and smelled like soup.

Cam came in the back door and said, "Wow! That smells great!" He wiped his feet and then headed for the living room. After giving Carolyn a quick kiss, he asked how Daniel was doing.

Daniel opened his eyes and said, "I feel better than I did. Your wife just got me drunk." He grinned sheepishly and closed his eyes.

Sam giggled and said, "You're a cheap date, Daniel. One teaspoon of medicine and you're loopy."

"Yeah, I remember a time or two at Galloway's Bar when I would buy Sunshine a beer and then had to practically carry him up the steps to his house. Do you even have a liver, Jackson?"

Daniel grinned and said, "I think so. I'm sure I had one when I got here. I must have misplaced it somewhere." He giggled and opened his eyes. "Hey Mitchel! When did you get here?"

Cam laughed and said, "He's hopeless." He went back to the kitchen, looked at his mom and said, "Dad said he's going into town later to get an air filter for the Jeep. Wants to know if you need anything?"

"I can't think of anything at the moment. Maybe you could stop in at the market and let Mr. Murphy know we have an excess of eggs. Someone might need some."

Jack said, "If he can wait a few minutes, Siler and I can go with. We need to take Teal'c into town."

Cam stopped and looked down. "Yeah, I'll tell him."

He left without another word and Jack sighed. He would never get used to Teal'c being gone.


	15. Shave And a Haircut

**AN:** Thanks to all those who have been reading this story. I'm sorry it has taken so long to update. Life got in the way and then the holidays came along and... well, I won't bore you with excuses. This new chapter is long. I apologize to those who might complain. I just couldn't find a place to break it up. I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter Fifteen: Shave And a Haircut**

Word spread throughout the community that Teal'c had passed away and soon, people were stopping by the funeral home to pay their respects and honor the hero they'd all come to admire. There was almost a constant stream of visitors even though Teal'c's body had already been placed in cold storage. They would have an internment service for him in the spring when they would be able to build him a proper tomb.

A few days after Teal'c's death, Vala stepped into the living room after lunch to say hello to Daniel, only to find him asleep in his hospital bed with a sleeping baby on his chest. While she stood there wondering if she should leave, Sam came up behind her and rested her hand on her shoulder. Vala turned and whispered, "I don't want to wake him up. He looks exhausted."

"I don't think he'll mind. Cassie probably needs to feed Alicia anyway." She made her way past Vala and approached the bed. Alicia was making little noises in preparation to waking up and Daniel opened his eyes to see Sam reaching for her.

"Hey," he said in a husky, sleepy voice.

Sam leaned over and said, "I need to take her to her mama. Would you like a visitor? Vala's here to see you."

"Sure," he said as he sat up further in the bed. Sam picked up the baby and left the room as Vala cautiously approached.

"You looked rather domestic there, Daniel. I didn't want to interrupt."

"It's okay. Alicia's a bit colicky and Cassie was tired. The baby wakes up a lot at night so I took her so Cassie could take a nap."

Vala made her way to the chair next to the bed and sat down in it. "I'm glad you made it home safely. I still can't get used to not having Teal'c around."

"I know," he said after he took a sip of water. He smiled at his friend and said, "I hear you did a great job taking care of him."

"He still died." Vala wiped a stray tear and got up to walk around the room. She stopped at the mantel to look at the pictures of Jack's parents and grand-parents.

Daniel knew from his own experiences that the 'What If" game could not be won. "You couldn't have stopped that. It was going to happen, no matter what."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But, if I had a healing device, I might have been able to use it." Vala sounded angry and Daniel could see that she was deeply mourning their friend.

"There isn't any way to manufacture Tretonin, am I right?"

"Yes."

"So, maybe you could have treated him but he would have still died. You did the best you could." He got out of bed and put on a robe. Then, he went to Vala and turned her around so that he could hug her. She stiffened at first but then leaned into the embrace. As he rubbed her back, he said, "It's time to let him go."

Vala started to weep as great sobs shook her frame. Sam entered the room and watched as her friend wept for the loss of their friend. She knew that Vala needed the permission to grieve and was glad that Daniel was there to help. Sam always felt awkward it situations like this. Vala was her friend but she wasn't sure how to handle the young woman's grief.

Eventually the tears stopped and Daniel led Vala to the rocking chair. Sam continued on into the kitchen and started to put her coat on when she heard Vala say, "Sweetheart, why don't we go away together? We could take the ship and travel to all the old places where I used to trade before I joined the SGC. We'd be good together, I know it!"

Sam heard Daniel say, "No Vala. I'm not leaving again. I'm with Sam now."

"No you're not. You aren't married, right? So, what's the harm? You know I love you. I have since we met all those years ago on the Prometheus."

Sam could hear the desperation in Vala's voice and knew that Daniel wouldn't have much patience with her nagging. She stepped into the room to see Vala trying to kiss Daniel and Daniel pushing her away. "NO! I'm not interested in you that way. I love Sam!"

Vala stepped back and turned towards the window as she sobbed. Daniel turned and saw Sam standing there and turned a bright shade of pink. "Sam…"

Vala turned quickly and fled from the house. Daniel watched from the window as she ran down the trail that led to her cabin. He sighed in frustration and said, "Please tell me that someone removed the crystals from the ship's controls?"

Sam said, "Siler did. They're hidden in his cabin." She looked towards where Vala disappeared. "Will she be okay?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. She's really upset."

"And, likely embarrassed. I don't think that was planned." Sam sighed. "Do you want me to go talk with her?"

"No. I think she'll want to be alone for a while. Maybe someone can talk with her later." Daniel turned and sat down in the recliner chair. "I feel like a cooked noddle."

"You're pale like one, too. Do you need help back to bed?"

"No, I'd just like to sit here for a while."

Sam grabbed the throw from the couch and tucked it around Daniel's waist. He was still weak from his ordeal with pneumonia and slept a lot but Carolyn had suggested that he get out of bed and walk a bit each day to help prevent blood clots in his legs. If Sam knew how weak he really felt, she'd have Jack in there seconds flat and he'd be helped back in bed. No, he was sick of lying around so he'd just stay put for a while.

Sam wasn't fooled one bit as she watched Daniel's hands tremble but she didn't think he would come to any harm while resting in the chair. She decided it was a good time to change the sheets on the bed and see if there was any other laundry to wash.

Daniel watched her as she worked and admired the cool efficiency of her movements. Sam always seemed to be in control. She was hard-working and never left work for others if she could do it herself. And there was plenty to do. He helped where he could by folding laundry while sitting on the bed or watching Alicia when Cassie needed a shower or a rest. He still coughed some but less and less each day and he wasn't contagious so the baby was safe around him. Carolyn watched him like a hawk so his attempts to assist were limited at the moment but it wouldn't be long and he'd be up and about.

He dozed off by the fire hoping that Vala would be okay.

0o0

Vala ran blindly at first through the snow that was starting to fall heavily. She was terribly upset that she'd done what she never thought she'd ever do. She begged Daniel. Begged him to leave Sam and run away with her. She was strong! She didn't need a man in her life. She never had. Wait! Who was she kidding? She was deeply in love with Daniel and he didn't care for her at all. Never had and never would.

She found herself at Teal'c's cabin and let herself in. The cabin was ice cold but she didn't care. She threw herself on his bed and wept bitterly. She wept for Teal'c, whom she'd come to love as a strong older brother. He'd been the truest friend she'd ever had and he was gone. She wept for herself that she would never have Daniel. She wept for heart-aching loneliness and the thought of being alone for the rest of her life. After a while, she curled up in a ball and fell into an exhausted asleep.

0o0

It was mid-afternoon when Daniel woke. Carolyn was reading a book on the couch and he could hear the distant sounds of voices from the kitchen. She looked up when he moved and said, "I was going to wake you earlier but you were sleeping so soundly. I'll bet you're ready to get out of that chair, though."

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind getting up for a bit."

"Come to the kitchen. The others have been asking about you and it'll do them good to see you."

The smell of frying potatoes and onions assailed his nose as he entered the warm kitchen. Cam's father Frank was at the stove in front of a large, black iron skillet. Sam stood next to Frank and they were both working on dinner. Daniel walked over and gave Sam a kiss on the neck as he looked over her shoulder. She was dressed in a dark denim skirt with an ivory pull-over sweater and she took his breath away. A pot of navy beans was simmering on the back burner and it looked like she had just pulled a couple of large pans of corn bread out of the oven.

Jack was sitting at the table with Walter, Wendy and Siler. They were playing Euchre and Siler had just trumped Wendy's jack of spades with the right bower. Walter tossed the king of spades on the table and Jack threw on the ace of the same suit. The game finished and Walter threw a quarter on the table exclaiming, "I can't believe it! That's three games in a row!"

Jack winked at Siler and said, "I can always count on my wingman!"

Siler grinned and then noticed Daniel standing next to Sam. "Dr. Jackson! Are you feeling better?"

"Um, yeah, a little bit. Thanks. I was wondering if I could take a shower and then I realized I have a problem. I don't have any clothes."

"I already went into town and rummaged through the local thrift store. I picked up some duds for you. I hope they fit." Jack stood and said, "Who's going to sit in my spot."

"I will," Carolyn said as she sat in the recently vacated chair. "Whose deal?"

"Follow me, Daniel. You can use the shower in the master bedroom."

Jack took off down the hall and Daniel followed him but paused on the threshold, thinking about the last time he'd been in this room and Teal'c's death. "I have some questions, if you don't mind."

"I'll be you have a lot of questions. Can they wait until you're done with your shower? I'm sure the others will want to know what you're thinking."

"Um, yeah." He nodded. "I can do that."

"Good." Jack had turned on the lights in the bathroom and had placed a clean wash rag and towel on the table next to the shower. "There's shampoo and body scrub on the shelf in there. I'll get your clothes for you and set them on the bed for you to choose from. I didn't buy a lot because I figured you'd want to go into town yourself and pick out your own things. But you have the basics. I also got you a robe so I'll hang that on the hook behind the door."

Daniel smiled and said, "Thanks, Jack."

"Yeah, sure, you betcha!" I'll be back in a few. Just yell if you need anything!" With that, Jack left and Daniel turned back towards the bathroom to turn on the water.

He adjusted the water to just the right temperature and then closed the curtain. After lifting the knob on the faucet, he took off his scrubs and stepped into the tub, letting the warm water caress his tired body. It didn't take him long to wash up and then he started to shampoo his hair. 'This is definitely too long,' he thought as he rinsed out the soap and shut off the tap. Grabbing the towel, he set about drying and then made his way to the mirror.

Since he had arrived, he hadn't taken a good look in the mirror and now he did. Who was that long haired, bearded stranger looking back at him? He noticed that he was thinner than he had been before he and Sam had gotten stranded off-world. He was pale, too but that was expected. He hadn't been in the sun for a while.

He found a shaving kit sitting next to the sink and took that as a gentle hint. He had a pretty good start on a beard but decided he'd had it long enough. After trimming it as close as possible with a pair of scissors, he lathered his face with soap and set to work. It didn't take long and he felt much better about his appearance. Next, he found a new toothbrush and paste and finished his ablutions. For a moment, he felt weak. As he clung to the edge of the pedestal sink, he thought about all that he and Sam had gone through and where they were now. It was almost too much to bear. He thought about all his friends and colleagues at the mountain that were gone, especially his secretary Franny. She was such a nice, older woman who would do just about anything for her grandkids. He thought about old Mrs. Werley, his neighbor who always baked him cinnamon rolls and Mr. Garvey, his mail carrier. Garvey used to laugh about the huge stack of mail that he would bring out to Daniel after he'd been gone off-world for a while. Daniel wondered if any of them had survived. It was almost too much for him to contemplate.

He turned back to the bedroom and saw that the clothing on the bed was typical of what Daniel usually wore when he wasn't at the base: a flannel shirt and blue jeans. Added to the selection was a pair of boxer briefs, long johns (top and bottom), heavy socks and boots. There was also a wristwatch which Daniel thought was rather nice since his had quit working months ago.

Once he was dressed, he sat in the chair by the window for a few minutes, catching his breath. Jack came into the room after knocking quietly and said, "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just winded. I definitely feel better but I'm not a hundred percent yet."

"You'll get there. Come on. The others are waiting for you."

He followed Jack down the hall to the kitchen and saw that a small crowd had gathered. Everyone smiled and said 'hello' when he entered. Jack pushed a bar stool towards him and he sat down gratefully. Frank grabbed a towel and drew it around his shoulders and said, "Military haircut, Dr. Jackson?"

"Uh, no. Not that short." He grinned as the crowd smiled at him.

"You got it," Frank said as he started combing through Daniel's shoulder length hair.

Jack gestured toward the hair on the floor and said, "Save that and I'll use it to tie flies. Speaking of which, I'll need help getting the ice shanty out onto the pond. Maybe sometime next week. The ice should be plenty thick by then if these cold temperatures keep up."

There were nods around the room as others agreed to help.

Jack looked at Daniel and said, "You mentioned that you had some questions?"

"Yeah, I do." He caught Sam's eye as she turned off the stove and put a lid on the pan of fried potatoes. She came closer and said, "I do, too."

"Shoot," said Jack.

Sam said, "Well, Daniel and I have been talking about what happened. You mentioned that the self-destruct was activated but we didn't really get a full explanation as to why and Daniel was pretty out of it when we got back so he doesn't remember what we talked about."

Jack nodded and said, "We're not really sure exactly what happened. We know that the day after we had contact with you both, the gate opened and wouldn't close. Hank closed the iris but the thirty-eight minute time limit came and went and the gate wouldn't shut off. Siler tried everything he could to shut it down but nothing worked."

Siler nodded as he explained. "We even cut off the main power grid but it kept going. I tried everything I could think of but no dice. It wasn't hooked up to a black hole, like before, so we were stumped."

Jack continued, "Hank ordered an evac of the mountain. He said that he wouldn't allow anyone down there unless they were absolutely needed. There weren't any teams off world; just you two."

Siler said, "He said if I couldn't fix it, I would just have to leave. I argued with him that he should go too but he said that someone had to be there in case a command decision was needed for anything."

At this point, Walter added, "I tried to talk him out of staying but he wouldn't budge. Finally, Colonel Coburn got us all into the elevator and then refused to get in himself. He said he'd take the next car."

Siler added, "Nobody believed he would. He didn't have any family and he once told us that he'd rather die in battle than retire a lonely old man."

Carolyn was weeping quietly in a chair in the corner with Cam's arm wrapped around her. "Dad wouldn't leave the mountain. We figure that he and Coburn set off the self-destruct when they were sure that everyone had left."

Walter nodded and said, "He must have been watching the security camera's on Norad Rd. 'cause as soon as the last car made the turn, we heard a rumble and the ground started to shake."

Siler said, "It blew the glass out of most of the office windows in downtown Colorado Springs. Horns went off; dogs were barking. We knew what had happened and when we turned, there was a huge black cloud where the mountain had been. The city was dusted with dirt for days afterwards. Everything came to a standstill."

"Okay," Daniel said, "So, you said the Wraith attacked soon after that. I'm assuming that they were the ones who kept the gate open. My question is: how did they keep the gate open? They didn't have that kind of technology."

"That's the sixty-four thousand question, isn't it? We don't know," Jack said. "The only thing we can figure is that they somehow acquired the ability from someone but we don't know who."

"I should have been there," Sam said as he felt the guilt of not being able to help. "I might have been able to shut down the gate."

Jack shook his head and said, "And you'd be dead now, too. And Daniel wouldn't have left your side so he'd be gone. No, there wasn't anything you could have done."

Sam looked away as Daniel reached for her hand.

They sat quietly for a few minutes as memories of the attack flooded the minds of those who had been there.

Frank used a brush to clean the hair off Daniel's neck and said, "It's been my experience that the regrets are the hardest things to live with after something terrible like this. There's always lots of second-guessing but it never helps."

Jack nodded and said, "Frank's right. There wasn't a thing anyone could do to change this. I remember when we found out that there was an alien fleet out there on the edge of our galaxy. I wanted to go destroy it but there wasn't anything I could do. We didn't know who they were or what they intended but I didn't want to wait to find out." He looked around the room and said, "I know the rest of you felt the same way. But, this was unavoidable. There were too many of them for us to fight and when they finally attacked, we were powerless to stop them."

Daniel reached up and ran his fingers through his shortened hair. "Thanks," he said to Frank. "It feels a lot better."

"You bet," Frank said. "Okay, anyone else as long as I've got the scissors out?" He got a few takers as the card game resumed. Daniel went into the living room and Cam followed him in.

"Did anyone go check on Vala?"

"Yeah," Cam said. "Caro and I went out there this afternoon. We found her asleep at Teal'c's cabin so we lit the fire and made her a cup of tea. Caro woke her up and she sat with us and talked for a couple of hours. I think she'll be okay. She's going through a tough time but she was headed over to the dining hall when we left. She said that she wanted to try out the new washer and dryer that we hooked up yesterday. It's in the smaller dining room and we decided that it would make a good laundry. Anyway, she seemed better."

Daniel nodded and said, "Good. I was worried."

"I know. Hey, when you're better I'll give you the nickel tour of the settlement. Jack really planned well. We also have to talk about which cabin you want. You and Sam could take over Teal'c's place or we could build you a new one. It only takes a couple of days to get one built and there's still acres and acres of land that hasn't' been touched."

Daniel nodded and said, "I'll talk to Sam and we'll let you know."

"I thought I'd let you know that we're having a gathering at the dining hall tonight at 7. Everyone is invited and I'm sure there are a lot of people who would love to say hello. We've been doing this once a week for a few months now."

"A gathering?"

"Yeah. Songs, story-telling, skits. You name it. Jack said it's an old tradition; something his family used to do years ago when he was a kid. I guess it goes back for generations, or something like that. It's a lot of fun and a good way to break up the monotony."

"Yeah, sounds good." Daniel led the way back to the kitchen and they were there in time to hear Frank give thanks for the meal. Soon, they were all seated around the table enjoying a good dinner and better company. There was more discussion about the events of the attack and by the time they were finished, Daniel and Sam had a good explanation of the events of that fateful day more than a year before.


	16. A Welsh Lullaby

Chapter Sixteen: A Welsh Lullaby

Carolyn checked Daniel's temperature and smiled. "It's finally normal. But, I need to warn you that you could easily relapse so I want you to take it easy. I don't want you spending any time outside unless you're dressed warmly and you'll need to eat properly. No skipping meals. Do you understand?"

Daniel grinned and said, "Yes, Ma'am." He sat on the side of his hospital bed anxious to get out and get some fresh air.

"Good. Now, if you want to go to the gathering tonight, we'll find you a warm coat to wear. And, as soon as you get tired, one of us will bring you back here so you can go to bed."

"I'm not a child, Carol!" Daniel complained but he also relished the attention at the same time. It was nice to have people around who cared.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want to have to face Sam and explain to her that you're sick again."

"I'll be careful." He smiled and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She handed him a large bottle of pills and said, "Vitamins. They haven't expired yet so I want you to take one every day."

"Okay." He got up off the exam table and said, "How do I pay you?"

"You can help me dig my garden in the spring."

"I'll be glad to." He turned and left to find Sam in the kitchen. She had changed into jeans, a turtleneck sweater and heavy boots for the walk to the dining hall. Jack came out of his bedroom with a heavy coat for Daniel to wear and there was a warm stocking cap and a pair of deer leather gloves in the pocket. After everyone was dressed and ready to go, Jack went out to start the Jeep.

"I can walk," protested Daniel but Jack wouldn't have it.

"You can't even take a shower without having to catch your breath. Get in Danny Boy!" Daniel did as he was told and the Jeep was soon headed down the dirt track toward the center of the settlement.

The two women had decided to walk. Carolyn asked Sam how she was doing.

"I'm okay. It's nice to be home." She smiled and looked up into the starry sky above the pine trees. "It was good to spend time with Daniel but we both missed everyone so much."

"I'll bet."

"I've been so busy lately that we haven't had any time to chat. So… you and Daniel?"

"Yeah. Well, he's been my best friend for years. We could always talk with each other about everything. And then we were stranded together and it just sorta happened."

"I understand. Cam and I flirted a bit before the attack but when we came here, there didn't seem to be any reason to wait. We went to one of the local churches and asked the minister to marry us." She smiled and said, "It's been good."

"Yeah?" Sam could hear the happiness in Carolyn's voice.

"Oh yeah. He was great after my father died. Very caring but not too pushy. He seemed to understand when I wanted some time to myself. And when I needed him, he was always there. We took a few long walks together and talked about all kinds of topics. Pretty soon, we were together all the time."

"It's always been that way with Daniel and me," Sam said. "He's very easy to talk to and a great listener."

They could see the lights from the dining hall ahead so they quickened their pace and went inside. Daniel and Jack had just hung up their outerwear and were getting hugs from all their friends. The two women hung up their things and joined the guys. Cam greeted Carolyn with a kiss and led her to a table in the corner with six chairs around it. Jack headed over to the punch bowl for a tray of drinks while Sam took Daniel's hand and followed Cam and Carolyn. A candle with a glass chimney rested against the wall and they sat and watched the crowd.

Cassie sat next to Cam and proceeded to burp Alicia on her shoulder. As Jack approached the table with numerous cups of punch, Daniel reached for Alicia and said, "May I?"

"Sure," Cassie said as she handed the baby over. "I just fed her so be careful. She could launch at any moment."

Daniel smiled, put the cloth diaper on his shoulder and settled the baby against his chest. He then sat down next to Sam with his back against the wall as Jack sat on his left and they all quietly listened to nurse Evans sing a song about two lovers in Scotland. The guitar melody was pleasant. Alicia was waving her arms around and seemed to enjoy the music as Daniel hummed along.

After the song was finished, Jack said, "So, Daniel. Sam. You're going to need a cabin. Do you want Teal'c's place?"

Daniel's eyes widened and Sam blushed. "Well," Daniel said, "We, I mean Sam and I, haven't talked about it yet. Can you give us some time?"

"I don't know," Jack answered. "Carolyn- what do you think? Are you ready to spring him loose?"

"I think so. He's much better and I've already talked to him about what he needs to do to take care of himself."

"Okay, then. Sam, what do you think?"

Sam had already had a discussion with Carolyn about Daniel's care and the only thing that bothered her was that Teal'c's cabin was next to Vala's. She looked towards the end of the large room and saw Vala playing pool with Siler and as she watched, the others at her table turned and saw the subject of her interest.

"Well, I'm not sure Teal'c's cabin would be the best for us." Sam turned back around; caressed the baby's arm and then looked at Daniel.

Jack watched as Daniel and Sam made eye contact. "Okay," Jack said. "How about I take the cabin and you two take my room at the big house?"

"What?" Daniel wasn't about to move Jack out of his home. "No! We're not going to do that. We'll figure out something."

"Okay. Well, now's the time to talk about it while we're all here. Do you want a cabin closer to the main house? There's a spot available on the other side of the bath house. It's very secluded. There's nobody nearby. It would only take a couple of days to put one up if all of us pitch in. We were planning on moving Carol's supplies over to the new clinic tomorrow afternoon. We could get the ground work done after that and start building day after tomorrow."

Daniel had no idea where Jack was talking about but he was sure that it would be just fine. He knew that Jack always had everyone's best interest in mind. He looked at Sam and raised an eyebrow.

"It's a good spot," Sam said. "Nice a quiet."

"Okay Jack. That sounds good. So, what do we do in the meantime?"

Everyone was quiet for a moment when Cam said, "You're only talking a few days, right?"

"Yeah. If we start early we can get the walls up in one day with the windows and doors. The second day is for the chimney and the roof." Jack knew that Cam had helped with cabin building since he'd arrived and that he didn't need to be told the specifics. This explanation was for Sam and Daniel's benefit.

"Couldn't we just keep things as they are until the cabin is finished?" Cam looked around the table and then added, "We can move Jackson's hospital bed over and put up a cot where it was. He and Sam can still have the living room for a few days."

Daniel nodded and said, "That's fine with me. I'm sure Sam agrees that we can wait." He looked at her and she gave her nod of approval.

"Good! Now that that is settled, I have another question. Do you two plan on getting married?"

"Married?" Daniel and Sam hadn't had that discussion yet and he didn't really want to be pressured into anything surrounded by a roomful of people. He wanted to marry Sam but he'd been too sick to propose properly and he didn't want her to feel pressured either.

Carolyn's instincts told her that Daniel and Sam were feeling very uncomfortable about now so she said, "Jack! I was wondering what you would think if we took the cargo ship and flew to the Springs. We could see if there are any more survivors from the SGC and maybe get some supplies."

"I thought about that and maybe we could go next week," Jack said. "But, I have a list of things that we need to get done around here first."

Cam picked up on Carolyn's attempt to change the subject and added, "Yeah, we could take some stuff to trade just in case we meet another group that has supplies that we need. I can make up a list."

They continued to talk about the trip as Daniel and Sam looked at each other and smiled. Alicia came over to take the baby and said, "I need to change her." They handed her over and then got up to walk hand-in-hand over to the table where the food was laid out.

They were soon surrounded by other friends and put the matter of a wedding on the "back burner".

0o0

Cassie was worn out. Carolyn had been helping her with natural remedies for her post-partum depression since Alicia was born but she had to admit that a lot of her problem was from the fact that her husband had died and she was alone to raise her daughter. She was very grateful for all the help at the settlement but she had to admit, she was lonely.

She looked around her as she sat in a chair in the corner of the dining hall. There was a decent sized crowd of former SGC personnel there. None of the locals were present as Jack thought that it was best to keep their numbers a secret. As far as the local community knew, there were only a few people at the settlement. Those same few were the ones who sent into town and traded for goods. Everyone agreed that it was best that way. They could get robbed by others if word got out that there was a large cache of supplies hidden underground. So, she never left the property.

She watched as Daniel and Sam laughed at a joke that Walter was telling and smiled. It was so wonderful to see them so happy and she was very glad that they had returned. Daniel was a great help with the baby and Sam was as close to her as an older sister would be.

She watched Jack as he got into an animated conversation with Frank about airplanes. She knew that Jack was overworked and felt a great responsibility for keeping everyone safe. She was up at night with the baby and found him slumped over the kitchen table more than once with supply ledgers open underneath his head.

Cam and Carolyn were usually seen working hard together on one project or another. He helped her with her patients and kept her supplies in order. More than once, she would find him talking to Jack about things they needed and he and Jack had built the chimneys for most of the cabins by themselves.

Cassie carried her baby into the pantry to change her diaper. Alicia started to cry and her mother walked around but nothing Cassie did would console the child. She carried Alicia into the dining room and by this time, Alicia was yelling for all she was worth. Many of the others turned when they saw Cassie carrying her over to her chair. Cassie started to weep silently as the baby screamed and she felt so hopeless. '_I'm terrible at this,'_ she thought. '_What am I doing wrong?'_

Daniel put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her. "Do you want some help?"

"Would you? I don't know what to do? She won't stop crying."

"It's not your fault," he said as he gave her a smile. "I don't think she liked Walter's jokes."

Cassie giggle through her tears and handed him her baby.

He began by talking to the baby in low tones hoping that she would stop to listen but that didn't work. So, he held her in front of him and started singing a lullaby. It was a very old one he's learned during his stay at Camelot and though he'd translated the words and melody, he never thought he'd use it. At first, nobody noticed and things went on around him as usual. But, Annie, who used to work up on the first floor reception area at the SGC, heard the tune and started to play along with her fiddle. It was a simple tune but she played the harmony and soon others stopped what they were doing and turned towards the music. Daniel didn't notice how most of the room had gone quiet. He only knew that Alicia had stopped crying and was watching him closely as he sang in a clear baritone and though nobody knew the words, the haunting tune touched each person to the core. When the song was finished, Alicia continued to stare into Daniel's blue eyes; then she yawned and closed her eyes. At that point, Daniel felt all eyes upon him and looked up. His blush was truly spectacular and everyone smiled or laughed quietly. The spell was broken and Daniel pulled Alicia close to his shoulder and turned his back to the crowd.

Sam stood next to him and said, "You have a gift."

He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss and then saw Cassie approach.

"That was beautiful," the younger woman said. "I didn't know you could sing."

"Well, it was just something I learned while I was off-world." He handed the baby over and he and Sam sat down on a bench by the fireplace. The room continued to hum with the sound of people talking and laughing but a few of the older couples left and headed for their cabins.

Walter stood up and started telling funny stories about different things that happened at the SGC. After him, Frank talked about the early history of the Air Force, which was interesting to most of the group.

After a bit, Daniel leaned over toward Sam and said, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'll get our coats and find Carolyn. She said she'd give us a ride back."

Soon, Cam and Carolyn were ready to go and the four of them waved to Jack on the way out. He was trading fishing stories with Siler and he waved back as they stepped out into the clear, moonless night. Every star seemed to be peeking through the clearing above and the group paused for a moment to look up.

"It's hard to believe that we were all over that," Cam said as he put his arm around Carolyn.

"Well, you were," she said. "I only made it off-world a few times."

Daniel and Sam held hands as she pointed out the different constellations. "That's how it all started, isn't it? You recognized that the constellation in the newspaper was a symbol on the cover stone."

"Yeah," Daniel replied as he watched the sky. "Seems like a thousand years ago."

"I know." Sam put her head on his shoulder and asked, "You feeling okay?"

"Yep. Tired but okay. You?"

"Good. I feel good."

She looked over his shoulder and saw Cam lean down to kiss Carolyn. Then together, the four turned towards the truck and then headed back to the main house.

Cam waved at them as he and Carolyn turned off to the path leading to their cabin. When Daniel and Sam got to the big house, they turned the lights on in the kitchen and shed their coats, boots and gloves. Daniel sat in a chair while Sam untied his boots and pulled them off his feet. After pulling off her own boots, she sat on his lap and sighed in contentment.

"I think this is the first time we've been alone since we arrived."

"I know," he said as he rubbed her back. "I doubt it will last long. Jack will probably drive Cassie and Alicia here any minute. Enjoy this while it lasts."

Neither one spoke for a few minutes. Then Sam said, "That song was beautiful. Oh, and by-the-way, you can sing to me any time you like."

"Oh, I can huh?" he smiled as he reached up to brush her bangs to the side.

"You sure can. You've got a great voice."

He kissed her slowly and then said, "There's something else I'd rather be doing."

Sam reached for him and pulled him into another slow kiss. He pulled her shirt out of the back of her jeans and caressed her back with his warm hands. She sighed and then deepened the kiss, melting into him as he hugged her closer. He pulled his right hand out of her shirt to hold the back of her head as his tongue danced with hers and he felt his heart pound as she moaned.

Suddenly, they both were interrupted by the sound of the Jeep as it made its way down the dirt track towards the house. Sam stood up and tucked her shirt back in as Daniel stepped into the darkness of the living room to gain his composure.

Sam went to the door and opened it for Jack as he came in carrying Alicia. He was followed by Cassie who had the diaper bag and soon the house was filled with noise again. Daniel stepped into the kitchen to stand next to Sam and whispered in her ear, "Another time."

Sam smiled knowing that it would probably be a few more days before "another time," happened. But, she was patient. It would all be worth it when she and Daniel had their own place.


	17. We Need to Talk

Chapter Seventeen: We Need to Talk

Daniel lay in the dark on his cot, listening to the sounds of the large cabin he shared with Sam, Cassie, Alishia and Jack. The baby occasionally woke wanting to be changed or nursed and Cassie was quick to answer her needs, probably so she wouldn't wake anyone. Jack snored but he was on the other end of the house in the large bedroom so he didn't bother anyone. Daniel smiled slightly at that. His team had gotten used to Jack snoring years ago. It turned out that Cam picked up where Jack left off after Jack's promotion and move to D.C. Sam breathed quietly in her sleep on the cot next to his, a comforting presence.

Sometimes at night, he would wake and reach for her in his confusion, wondering what was real. He occasionally had difficulty believing all that had happened. On one hand, he was so grateful for Sam. She had been constant friend and confident for so many years and he loved her more each day. On the other, he was devastated by all that had occurred around them.

He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost five AM. It would be a while before it was light out and he knew that the others would be up soon. He rose from his bed and quickly dressed. Then he grabbed his journal and a pen and sat down at the table in the kitchen to write his thoughts. He lit a lantern and placed it on the table, picked up his pencil and began.

0o0

Jack looked out the bedroom window and saw that the morning had dawned cloudy and cold. Some of the snow had melted but he saw darker clouds on the northern horizon and wondered how long they had before they got more. So far, the winter had been mild but this was Minnesota where the weather could be brutal. Thanksgiving was only two weeks away and he hoped to have a turkey for their dinner but so far, Ferretti hadn't seen any.

He quietly made his way down the hall. As he passed the living room, he noticed that Daniel's bed was empty and made up. His friend was already dressed and seated at the kitchen table. "Good morning. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Daniel answered. "I woke up about an hour ago and decided to get an early start."

"Doing what?" Jack saw Daniel close his journal and put it down. _'Old habits die hard,'_ he thought as he remembered that Daniel had been writing in journals for years.

"I was just thinking. Do you have any weights to work out with?"

"Yeah, they're in the utility room in the dining hall. They get used almost every day but it's a hassle taking down tables and then putting them back up for the next meal. It takes a while to lay down the floor mats and get everything out. Why?"

"Well, maybe Teal'c's cabin could be used as a gym." He paused and then added, "Unless you have another idea. I'm sorry. I shouldn't presume. I mean, this is your place and you don't need me coming in and telling you want to do."

Jack grinned and said, "No, it's a good idea. I'm sure it could be fixed up. Personally, though, I wouldn't rush things. Carolyn wants you to be careful."

"Yeah," Daniel looked down at his hands. "My calluses are gone. I need to get back in shape."

"You will. You lost some weight but you're putting it back on. I can tell that you didn't just lie around on the ship."

"No, we practiced hand-to-hand almost every day. But I'm not in fighting shape anymore and I'm not sure I can shoot accurately."

"Okay. Well… I'm sure we can set up a regimen for you. Some of us have gotten together for calisthenics but lately we've all been too busy with other things. Maybe it's time for all of us to get us together on a regular basis." He paused for a moment and then said, "It's good to have you back, Daniel."

Daniel nodded and said, "It's good to be back."

Jack added, "And as far as this being my place- it's your home now so your opinions count."

Daniel nodded somberly and said, "Thanks, Jack."

Jack cleared his throat and then said, "As far as shooting goes, we have to be careful about that. If we set up a range, the neighbors might figure out that there are more people here than they thought. Maybe we can figure something out, though."

Theyexchanged a smile and then Jack put on his coat and said, "I'm going to go look at some trees for your cabin. We won't build it until spring but we can cut the logs now. Actually, we already have some lumber stored in the barn but we cut trees to replace what we use. It gives the new stuff time to try. Want to come with?"

"Sure," Daniel said. He donned his jacket and followed Jack outside.

Lou Ferretti was already standing out in the gravel drive looking up at the heavy sky. He smiled at his two friends as they stepped off the porch. "Snow's comin'. Before the end of the day, I think. Probably earlier."

"Thought so. Okay then," Jack said as he pulled a large piece of chalk out of a plastic bag in his pocket. "Let's head over to the bath house and start from there." The three men walked down the gravel covered path that disappeared into the trees and passed the bath house.

Daniel looked at the brick building with the steam coming out of the stack on the roof and said, "You really built one? I thought you had just nick-named a shed that, or something."

No, it's real. One side is for men; the other for women. There's a couple of hot springs that feed it. We keep the water pure, no soaps or anything. The run-off gets pumped out to the gardens where there's a cooling pond. It's very efficient."

"How far back are the gardens?" Daniel had to admire the ingenuity.

"About a mile. We have an outdoor community pool behind the building." He pointed and said, "You can see it through the trees. It gets more use in the summer but there have been a few who enjoy a hot soak even when it's snowing. My father was Irish but my mother was Norwegian. It must be the Viking in me that thought of this."

Daniel smiled and "It's very Nordic. Your mother would be proud."

"Yeah, well, whatever it is, it's great in the winter after a long day working outdoors. And if you want a shower, Sly rigged up a system that uses gravity and some-such. He can explain how it works."

"We put an insulated reservoir on the roof that we use buckets to fill. It holds about 30 gallons and it was a bear to fill. Since you and Sam brought the generator, it's made it much easier. I put in a pump and we don't have to climb up there anymore. Wendy makes the soaps we use and that all goes into a separate waste system."

Daniel was very impressed and smiled as he followed Jack and Sly into the forest.

Jack turned toward the trees and said, "What we're looking for are pines that are the same size in girth. Not something really old as those tend to have disease and decay that lessens the quality of the wood." He walked over to a tree and turned towards Daniel as he smacked the tree with his hand. "We want trees like this one."

Daniel looked at the tree and said, "Okay. How many do we need?"

"That depends on you, Danny Boy. How big do you want your cabin? One room? Two? Three? Will you need a nursery for kids? How many kids?"

"Geeze, Jack! Sam and I haven't even talked about that! Not yet, anyway."

"Well, maybe you better go get her."

Daniel felt like this decision was being forced on him and he didn't like it. "I'll go talk to her. She was still asleep when we left so this might take a few minutes." He headed back towards the main house at a quick pace.

Jack shouted, "That's fine. We'll go mark some more trees." He and Siler turned towards the trees.

"You sound like a dog, Jack!" Daniel grinned as he saw Jack laugh.

"Owwwwwwww." Jack and Siler howled like hound-dogs and turned back towards the forest.

Daniel shook his head in disbelief as he approached the main house. He knew that Jack meant well and that he was right. They did need to decide how big the cabin should be but he didn't like being pushed. They had been friends for over ten years and true, there were times where it didn't feel like it, but Daniel still valued his privacy. He needed to have at least some control of his life and lately, things felt out of control.

Sam was brushing her hair in the bathroom when Daniel came in. He leaned against the counter with his back to the mirror and watched her as she pulled her long, blond hair back into a pony-tail.

"Hi." He gave her a quick kiss and then said, "Jack is picking out trees for our cabin and needs us to make a decision. How big do we want it and should it have a nursery."

"Holy Hannah. He won't give up, will he?" She laughed despite it all.

"Uh…no." He took her hand and said, "We need to talk."

Sam looked into his eyes and saw that he was very serious. "Okay. Let's go sit down." She followed him into the living room and they both settled themselves comfortably on the couch.

He put his arms around her and they snuggled close. After he kissed her temple, he said, "I know we haven't talked about this but I guess it's time. I don't like being pressured about serious issues like this but Jack's right. How big do you want this cabin?"

She leaned back to see his face and said, "I thought you were going to ask me a different question." She smiled as he blushed.

"Yes, about that." He turned toward her and slowly kissed her. When they stopped, he said, "Do you think you could stand to spend the rest of your life by my side as my wife? Samantha, would you marry me?"

She smiled and said, "I think I could stand it." She reached up and kissed him. This kiss went on a little longer than the first one and then she said, "Yes, Daniel. I'll marry you." She felt his heart under her hand and said, "Did Jack nag you into this?"

"Not really. I've been trying to figure out just the right way to ask." He brushed a few loose strands back over her ear.

"Okay. Well, do we need a big cabin?" Sam wanted to know what he thought.

"I would love to give you babies but do you want children?"

"I've been using birth control for years, Daniel. I don't even know if I can get pregnant."

He closed his eyes a moment and the said, "Maybe we should talk to Carolyn."

"I already have."

"You have? When?" He held her hand and then kissed her fingers.

"The first time was when I was going to marry Pete. He wanted a house full of kids and I wasn't sure if that was even possible."

"What did she say." The obvious concern on his frowning face melted her heart.

"She said that every woman was different. Some get pregnant right away and some don't. There's no way of knowing." She paused for a moment and said, "I see Alishia and how tender you are with her and yeah, I would love to have babies with you."

They looked into each other's eyes and then he said, "So, we need a bigger cabin." Then he smiled and pulled her into a fierce hug. "I love you!"

She squeezed him around the neck and said, "I love you, too!"

They both got up and he helped her with her coat. Then they went outside to give Jack the news.


	18. Why Wait?

Chapter Eighteen: Why Wait?

When Daniel and Sam headed for the spot where Daniel had last seen Jack, they noticed that there was a crowd of people gathered there with chain-saws and other tools. Siler was gassing up the saws and Frank was coming up the track from the barn with the tractor. There were thick chains dangling from the hitch and he waved to them as he approached. As soon as Frank shut down the tractor, he gingerly stepped down and shook Daniel's hand. "It looks like we've got a house to build."

"Yes, sir." Daniel said. "I hope I can help."

Carolyn emerged from the crowd, patted his shoulder and said, "I'm sure we'll find something for you to do. Just pace yourself." She wasn't too concerned that he would relapse, though he still coughed a bit – especially at night. She thought he might tire easily as he hadn't exercised since his return, due to his illness.

"Okay, you two," Jack said as he walked up to the Sam and Daniel. "Will it be two bedrooms or three?"

Sam said, "Make it three," and blushed as Jack gave her a hug.

Daniel looked at Jack and asked, "How soon can we plan a wedding?"

"That's up to you two. Do you want the minister from town to come out? Do you want a big party afterwards?"

Sam looked at Daniel and said, "It's probably not a good idea to have the minister come here, since we're trying to keep our numbers a secret."

"Actually, Reverend O'Reilly is a good friend of mine. Has been for many years and he knows all about this place. And what you tell a minister in confidence is sacred. He can't tell anyone. I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming out. Just let me know when you want this done."

Sam said as she squeezed Daniel's hand. "Okay then. What can we help with?"

Jack looked up into the sky and noted that there were some snow flurries just starting to float down from the clouds. "We're going to be able to get the trees cut today but that's about it. We should get some warm days before winter where we can lay some cement but it has to be above freezing to do that. I hope we don't have to wait until spring.

Daniel nodded and said, "If we have to wait, we will."

"Well," Jack said, "We haven't had an Indian summer yet so it might still happen."

"Excuse me," Vala stepped forward with a raised index finger. "I don't want to sound like an idiot here but what is an 'Indian Summer?' I know what summer is but I don't believe I've ever heard of an 'Indian' one."

Sam answered, "That's when you have a warm spell after a cold spell or a freeze."

"Thank you," Vala said. "I'm the only alien present and I'm sure and I'm sure that many of you assumed I knew that but I'm still in the dark where a lot of earth expressions are used and well…I'm babbling aren't I?"

Jack said, "Don't worry about it, Vala. Teal'c was very confused when we first met."

Jack pointed to the trees surrounding them and said, "I marked the trees that need to come down. Siler has the saws ready and we'll drag them with the tractor over to the barn where he can stack this stuff. There's a bunch of dried lumber there that we can use. Later, I'll give you the tour of that place. In the meantime, you two come with me and we'll get an idea about where you want to live. I have some blueprints up at the house. All you have to do is decide which house you like. There are four plans to choose from."

They walked over to an area where some trees had already been cut for another cabin. The wood had been hauled away and all that was left were a few rotted stumps and a few saplings. "How about this spot?" Jack kicked over a small rock and continued, "It's not too far from everyone but not so close that you'll be bothered by anyone snoring in the next cabin."

Daniel and Sam looked around and smiled. "I like it," Sam said. "It's sunny here."

"Yeah, you'll have enough sunlight for a small garden, if you want one. We have the big communal one out back but it's nice to have a few tomato plants close by. There's a spring just inside the trees in the back so you'll have water near-to-hand." They walked into the trees and Daniel squatted down next to the small pond to get his hands wet. After tasting the water, he pronounced it good and he and Sam walked around looking at the lot. They could hear the chain-saws working in the distance and Cam yelled 'Timber,' just before one of the big pines tipped over.

Daniel smiled as he looked at Sam. "It's pretty exciting, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she answered. "For a while there, I wondered if we'd ever make it home. Here we are building our own house. That's pretty amazing!"

They heard Frank approaching with the tractor so they walked back to where Jack was standing. Frank hopped down and he and Jack hooked up a large logging chain to one of the stumps to pull it out of the ground. Frank said, "Do you know how to drive a tractor Daniel?"

"Yeah, I did a lot of that in college."

"Go ahead then and start out really slow so the chain doesn't snap."

Sam watched in disbelief. She couldn't imagine a chain that thick snapping but she stayed out of the way, just in case. Daniel shifted gears and slowly moved forward. The chain grew taut and then Daniel gave it a little more gas. Soon, she could hear popping sounds and then the old stump pulled out of the ground.

"Stop!" Jack yelled but Daniel had already let off the gas as he watched behind him.

"One down and oh…ten to go," Jack said as Daniel dragged the stump over to the edge of the trees. He hopped down from the tractor and he and Frank released the chains. Frank allowed Daniel to drive while he stood on the hitch. Daniel backed up to another stump and then shut down the tractor. Sam watched as the three men hooked the chain around another stump and the whole process started all over again. She could tell that Daniel was actually having a bit of fun and it seemed like old times.

By lunchtime, the stumps were all pulled out and moved off into a pile. There were a few large rocks that needed to be dragged out and Sam stood off to the side with some of the women as they discussed where the garden should eventually be and what kinds of vegetables and flowers to grow.

Everyone headed for the dining hall and hung their coats on pegs by the door. Vala, Wendy and Cassie carried large platters of cooked hamburgers to one of the tables. On that table were plates full of cheeses and jars of pickles, fresh sliced onions, home-made rolls, deviled eggs, ketchup and mustard. The line went down both sides of the table and the ladies brought out pans of French fries. A table full of pitchers of iced tea was off to the side. The room quieted as the group enjoyed their meal.

Daniel looked over at Vala and saw that she and Wendy were laughing about something. He looked then at Sam sitting across from him and quietly asked, "She doing okay?"

"I think so," Sam answered. "She keeps busy and she and Cassie talk a lot."

Daniel nodded and then said, "I worry, ya know?"

"I know. She's strong, though."

He nodded and continued with his lunch. Jack was sitting on the other side of him and said, "Tonight, I'll get those blueprints out and you and Sam can take a look at them. Most of the cabins here have two rooms; a living area and a bedroom. It's a bit of a primitive set-up but it works. And we've all been on mission's off-world where we had to live rough so this is an improvement on some of the places we've been to."

Daniel nodded. He didn't mind the living conditions. After all, he'd been on plenty of digs where all they had for accommodations were tents and the bathroom was just a spot behind a tree. This was paradise compared to some of the places he'd been.

Sam said, "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Well," Daniel said, "We'll see how you feel when the temperature is 30 below and the wind is howling." He took her hand and kissed it.

"I already have a plan for that," Jack said. "When it gets that bad, we will all settle in here at the dining hall. I have a few old wood stoves in the barn that we can hook up and use to heat this building. Everyone can come here during the storms. There are plenty of army cots in storage and we can set up dividers for privacy.

"That's how the Vikings used to live, Jack." Daniel smiled. "

"I know. That's where I got the idea. We'll all be fine." He got up to take his plate and utensils to the kitchen. It was SG-1's turn at KP duty, according to the schedule that was posted on the wall calendar. Not all SG teams were complete so some of the teams were combined to make new four person units. Rotation changed daily. Some teams were on kitchen detail while others were on composting, gardening, log-splitting, etc. Each team had other chores as well and free time scheduled in but it took the whole community functioning together to make it all work.

Jack's team met in the kitchen and he doled out assignments. "Cam, you have floors; Vala, put away left-overs; Daniel and Sam will wash and dry dishes; I'll wash the stove and other surfaces, including tables in the dining room and kitchen counters. Are there any questions?" Nobody had any so the group got to work.

As was usual, the team seemed to anticipate each other's needs and they operated like a well-oiled machine. Jack helped Vala get out the containers she would need to store away the food. Sam helped clear tables as people finished eating so that she could take them in to Daniel who was scraping crumbs into a compost bin. Cam helped Jack stack chairs along the wall and helped Sam clear tables so that Jack could wash them. Cam then swept the dining room and kitchen floors. Soon the dishes were done and put away and every surface was wiped down and clean.

Carolyn nudged Cam in the arm and said, "Look."

Cam saw that Daniel and Sam were sitting together in the corner by the large fireplace talking quietly.

Cam smiled and said, "It's about time those two got hitched. The first time I saw them together, I knew something was up. They had a connection that few ever have."

"Yeah, I know. It's good to see them both so happy." They grabbed their heavy coats and went out.

0o0

Daniel held Sam's hand and said, "Can we talk?"

"Of course," Sam said as she took Daniel's hand and they sat down at a table. Jack was in the kitchen but everyone else had gone so the dining room was quiet.

Daniel kissed Sam gently and said, "I don't want to wait. I want to get married tonight."

Sam looked into his eyes and saw he wasn't joking. "I was thinking the same thing but I wasn't sure what you thought."

"I don't see any reason to wait. We were alone together for over a year and we got along great. Now, we have a chance at a normal life and over the years I've learned that life is too short. Why should we wait?"

Sam held his hand and said, "Jack's in the kitchen."

Daniel and Sam found Jack going over the menu for the next day and he looked up when they walked in. He studied the two of them for a moment and said, "Everything okay?"

"Sam and I were talking and we wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, what's up?"

"We wondered if we could get married tonight. Make it legal and all that?"

"Tonight?" Jack was shocked. Daniel had only asked Sam that morning.

"Yes," Daniel said. "Can you think of any reason to wait?"

Sam looked into Daniel's eyes. She loved him with all her heart and smiled at the thought of being his wife.

Daniel said, "What do we need to do to make this happen?"

"Jack looked at the clock on the wall and said, "Reverend Mike has office hours every afternoon for a couple of hours. If we hurry, we can just catch him."

Daniel looked out the window as he was putting on his jacket and said, "Wow! Ferretti was right! Look at it snow!"

The flakes were blowing sideways in the wind and some of the pine trees were already coated with the fine stuff. They hurried out to the truck and headed into the little village down the road.

Reverend Mike was a congenial man with an easy laugh. He introduced himself and then asked a few questions about their religious beliefs. Did they want a religious ceremony? How soon did they want to get married?

When Daniel answered, "Tonight," Mike nearly choked on his coffee.

"Tonight? You're not wasting any time, are ya?"

Daniel looked at Jack and then looked down at the floor. "Sam and I have known each other for over ten years. Given all that's gone on around us, I can't see any reason to put it off."

Mike looked out the window and said, "Ya know, that snow is piling up and I'm afraid if we wait, we'll get stuck on the road going out to the settlement. Now, we could just do this right now, right here in my office. I have all the paperwork that you need to fill out and it won't take but a few minutes. My wife is fixing dinner and she could be another witness."

Daniel looked at Sam and said, "I know this probably isn't what you had in mind."

"It actually is kinda romantic, being swept off my feet and all." She grinned as he smiled.

"Okay," he said to Mike. "Now is good."

Soon, documents were signed and Jack was standing next to Daniel while Meg was standing next to Sam. They repeated their vows and all went well until they came to the part where they exchanged rings. Neither one had one to give. Meg excused herself for a few moments. She came back with a box lined in velvet. Inside were rings of different styles and sizes. "We collected these over the years from estate sales and auctions. Maybe you'll find one that fits."

Sam and Daniel both tried different ones on until they found rings that fit.

Mike said, "Okay then, that's settled." The rest of the ceremony continued and before they knew it, Daniel and Sam were married.

As they were leaving, Jack shook Mike's hand and thanked him. Sam gave both Mike and Meg a kiss on the cheek and Daniel gave Meg a hug. Then they were back in the truck and heading back in the storm. The sky was pitch black by now but the flakes swirling in front of the headlights were almost making it hard to see and Jack had to concentrate on the road to keep from sliding into a ditch. Daniel had his arm around Sam's shoulders and she rested her head on his shoulder. It took about an hour to get home but soon they were pulling up in front of the large house that they shared. Jack said, "I'm going to close the gate. It might take me a few minutes. I'll have to shovel the snow away from the gate."

"Let me help," Daniel said.

"No, I got it. You just sit tight."

Daniel watched as Jack grabbed the snow shovel out of the bed of the truck and disappeared in a swirl of snowflakes. "I'm glad he's got the emergency flashers on or he might not be able to find his way back to the truck."

"He's been doing this for years," Sam said. "He spent a lot of holidays here with his parents and grand-parents."

Before too long, Jack was back and brushing off the snow from his jacket before he got into the driver's seat.

Jack said, "I'm going up to the barn to hook the plow to the front of the truck. I can give you both a tour if you want." Sam and Daniel agreed and they rode with Jack to the huge pole barn on a large hill behind the house. Jack stopped to let them out and then pulled ahead to where the plow rested along the wall. Daniel looked around him in awe. Sam stepped down next to him and said, "Look at all this!"

The barn was neat and clean, for all the things it had in it. Vehicles of different sizes were parked along the walls. There was a large state truck, a panel truck, a van, a few motorcycles, some 4-wheelers, and snowmobiles. The couple walked over to where Jack was hooking the plow to the truck.

"This is amazing, Jack."

"This?" Jack said as he looked around. "Oh this is nothing. Follow me." He walked over to a switch on the wall and turned to watch as two panels in the floor opened up and slid back. A ramp led down underneath the floor and disappeared into the dark. On one side of the ramp was a set of steps that led down and they followed Jack into the recesses beneath the building. Jack flipped a switch and Daniel and Sam looked in disbelief at the cavernous room before them.

It looked like the warehouse from the ending scene of "Raiders of The Lost Ark." Row upon row of crates was stacked as far as Daniel could see. "When did you do this, Jack?" He'd been to the cabin before but never knew this existed.

"It was top-secret. There are others scattered across the country. President Hayes thought of it after Anubis attacked. He said that we needed to be prepared, just in case."

"It looks like you are!" Sam started forward and saw crates marked with food, bedding, weapons, ammunition and more. She paused and said, "How could you get this all built and stocked in the time after you were thawed out?"

"This originally was a cave. It was just a matter of putting up walls and lighting. As far as the supplies go, the Daedalus beamed it in." Jack smiled and said, "Thor helped a lot." He smiled, thinking about his little alien friend. "We had plans to bring in some more but then the Asgard died. Then the attack on earth happened. Somewhere out there in a warehouse near the Springs is a crate full of naquadah generators and other things. I was thinking of taking the ship and going there to find them. I thought I would look for survivors, too."

Sam nodded and said, "That's a good idea. When do you want to go?"

"Soon. I was thinking next week sometime.

"Count me in," Daniel said.

"Me too." Sam grinned as she looked at the two men in front of her. "This feels like old times."

Jack smiled back and said, "We need to make a list of items to trade. If there are survivors, they'll want to negotiate for goods. I'm sure we have things they might need. I have the inventory list up at the house and we can go over it before we leave."

They shut off the lights and went back to the main floor. The snow was coming down heavily and they chatted excitedly as Jack drove them back to the house.

Jack pulled up in front of the dining hall and shut off the engine. "Walter offered an idea. He's got a cabin of his own but he's thinking about moving in with Andrea Nelson. She's alone and was asking for a room-mate. They get along well and that would leave his cabin open. It's very small but it would probably work until we could get yours done. What do you think?"

Daniel nodded and looked at Sam. She was so beautiful and smart. He loved her so much. He looked at Jack and said, "Sounds good to me."

"That's good because he moved his things over to Andrea's today. Frank told me before we left that a bunch of the others would move your things over there and stocked it. You can move in tonight."

"I get a distinct feeling that we've been out-maneuvered," Sam said. She looked at Jack and said, "What would you have done if we'd said we wanted to wait until the house was done?"

"I would have moved into the cabin," Jack said. "You two need your privacy. In fact, it's not a bad idea. You two keep the house and I'll move there."

"NO!" They both shouted.

"We won't take your house from you," Daniel said. "This place has been in your family for how many generations? It's yours and we can't accept that. We'll be fine in the cabin."

"Okay then." Jack looked at them and said, "Let's go inside. I want to show you something."

Jack got out and shut the door. Sam looked at Daniel and said, "What is he up to?"

He gave her a grin and said, "With Jack, you never know!" He gave her a quick kiss and stepped out making sure to offer her a hand down so that she wouldn't slip on the deep snow.

When they entered the dining hall, a crowd of friends and family yelled "Surprise!"

Jack stepped forward and said, "Remember when I closed the gate? I called Walter and he set up the party. Congratulations!"

The crowd gathered around the newlyweds and the celebration began.


	19. Heaven

Chapter Nineteen. Heaven

The truck pulled away and left Daniel and Sam in front of their cabin. Daniel picked Sam out over his shoulder in a fireman carry and pushed the door open setting her down in front of the fireplace. They both giggled, partly from nervousness as this was their wedding night and partly from the wine they drank at the party. The room was warm and the heat felt good. On a table by the door were various cartons of food put together by the kitchen staff.

"I think they plan on us staying here a while," said Daniel as he looked into the packages. "They sent over bottled water, fruit, candy… There's even a canned ham and here."

Sam opened a cupboard and some drawers along the far wall and found pots and pans, dishes, flatware and cooking utensils. There was a stove and a small refrigerator along one wall and a table in the corner. "We won't need to leave for a while." She turned to find him standing next to her.

"Good. Then I've got you all to myself." He looked at her bright blue eyes and saw her smile. "I can hardly believe that you're my wife. It seems like a dream and I don't want to wake up." He reached for her and pulled her close as he wrapped his arms around her.

She took him by the hand and led him into the other room where they found a large bed that was comfortably made up and waiting for them. Through another door was a bathroom where a large claw-footed bathtub rested in the corner. "Care to join me for a hot bath?" she said as she turned on both taps.

Daniel grinned and started to unbutton his shirt when Sam stopped him. "Let me help you with that Dr. Jackson."

"Whatever you say Colonel Doctor." He unbuttoned her shirt while she unbuttoned his and before long they were both up to their necks and warm water and bath oil. As the snow piled up outside, the two lovers became one.

0o0

The storm continued for four days and everyone stayed-put. On the fifth morning the sun came out from behind the clouds and the members of the little settlement opened their doors to find four feet of snow. Jack got his shovel from the mud room near the kitchen and started working on a path to the truck. He waved at Siler who was headed for the barn. Siler was sporting a pair of snowshoes and waved at Jack as he went by. Jack started cleaning up his truck and heard the distinctive sound of a snowmobile coming from the barn. Soon he could see Mitchell and Carolyn as they approached. The machine stopped next to the truck and the engine was shut off.

Carolyn said "We're on our way to the kitchen to get some food to take to each of the cabins I want to check on everyone that didn't stay at the mess and make sure they're okay."

Jack looked at Mitchell and said, "You just want to go bug Daniel and Sam."

"Don't look at me," Mitchell said. "It was her idea." Cam's black snowmobile suit was getting dusted with snow as he reached over and pushed a pile of snow off the hood of Jack's truck.

Caroline turned pink beneath the hood of her parka but she stood her ground. "I'm checking on everyone- not just Daniel and Sam."

Cam said, "Do you need anything Jack?"

"No, where fine."

"All right, see you later." Cam started up the snowmobile and they took off down path.

0o0

Jack saw Cassie and the baby in the window and waved as he continued to clear off the truck. Soon he had the engine started and was plowing his way down the road. It took him a couple hours to clear the main road around the settlement. By that time his stomach was growling and he felt the need for a hot cup of coffee. Then he had to remind himself that there wasn't any coffee and he vowed that if they got to Colorado Springs he would trade for some.

0o0

Daniel woke to the sun shining on the tips of the pine trees in the forest around the cabin. It was early yet but the sky looked clear. They hadn't seen the sun in days and it was a nice welcome to a new day.

He stretched and then turned towards Sam. He couldn't remember when he'd felt so worn out, so physically exhausted; and yet so good all at the same time. He took a strand of her long blond hair and twirled the end around his finger as he thought about how much he loved her. She was lying on her stomach with her arms under the pillow and the blankets pulled up to her neck. The room was cool and soon he would have to get out of the warm bed and start a fire. But, right now, he was content to wait. He kissed the back of her neck and heard her sigh.

She murmured, "I thought you were going to let me sleep in."

"I did. It's 10:30." He reached under the blankets and caressed her shoulders. "C'mere." He pulled her close as she turned towards him and she snuggled into his shoulder. "The storm is over."

"Hmm." Sam's sleepy reply made him grin. She opened her eyes, saw the look on his face and said, "What?"

"I could stay right here forever but I have a feeling the others will eventually come looking for us." He kissed the palm of her left hand and added, "I suppose we better come up for air."

"What's the rush?" Sam kissed his neck and said, "Nobody will stop here. They know we're fine." She nibbled on his ear lobe and grinned when he shivered.

He pulled the covers over their heads and decided that the fire could wait.

0o0

A couple of hours later, Daniel woke and said, "I hear a snowmobile. I think we're going to have visitors. I'll go see who it is."

Daniel grabbed his sweatpants and a robe and headed for the other room. When he peered out the window, he saw Cam through the trees, about 15 yards away, up to his waist in snow, shoveling a path to the door of the cabin. Carolyn was still seated on the machine which had a trailer behind it filled with supplies.

He opened the door and yelled out, "Have you come to check up on us?"

Cam yelled back, "Yeah, Carolyn is checking on everyone. You guys okay?"

"Fine. Could use some coffee."

"Couldn't we all." Cam chuckled and then said, "We brought some fresh food. Lou shot a buck yesterday morning. I swear, nothing stops that man from hunting. He said it's easier to track in the snow, blood being red and all. Anyway, he sent over a few steaks."

Carolyn held up a canvas bag and said, "There's some other stuff in here, as well. Here!" She made her way through a snow drift; up onto the porch and shoved the bag into his hands. "Is Sam up?"

"I don't know." He turned just as the door to the bedroom opened and saw his wife walk towards him. "Carolyn and Cam are here."

Sam ducked under his outstretched arm and said, "Hi. Come on in."

Daniel stepped back and looked into the bag. "Something smells good." His mouth watered as he found a plastic container filled with fresh cinnamon rolls.

"My mother baked them for us this morning," Cam said as he unzipped his outer layer of clothing. "She said we had to share them with you."

"We told her we would be checking on everyone. Do you two need anything?" Carolyn took off her boots and stood them by the door. Daniel pried open the plastic top as Sam got plates and forks out and started hot water for tea.

"We're good," Sam said with a smile. "How much snow did we get?"

Carolyn answered, "About four feet. A tree fell over between Vala's cabin and the creek. Siler is just itchin' to get out there with the chain saw and clean it up. It's right on the path the to her door."

"Men and their toys," Sam said.

'Yeah, well," Cam said, "Siler does work hard so he can have all the toys he wants."

The others agreed with his assessment and then Carolyn said, "Jack said that he's planning on a trip to the Springs in a few days. He wants to take the cargo ship you brought back. I thought you might want to go along. I want to go and see if there are any medical supplies left at the Academy hospital. We're running low on a few things."

"He did mention that last week when we last talked," Daniel said after he finished his roll. He looked at Sam and said, "I could use some fresh air. Now that the storm is over, how about a walk? We could head over to the main house and see if he's up there? We need to talk about this trip?"

Sam agreed and Cam and Carolyn left.

0o0

After bathing and dressing, Daniel and Sam headed for Jack's house. Upon entering the kitchen, they hung up their coats and went into the living room to find Cassie playing with the baby and Jack and Wendy going over the menu for Thanksgiving.

Jack smiled when he saw them. "Good news! Ferretti saw a flock of wild turkeys over by the garden. He said we might actually have some for our dinner."

Sam looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "We saw a lot of smoke when we flew in. Did you have a hard time growing things last year?"

Jack nodded and said, "Yeah, we did. We parked all the vehicles outside the barn and used grow lights. We didn't get the yield we would have if we'd tried to grow the same things outside in the sun but we didn't have as many people here either. Plus, we found a lot of canned goods in the empty houses and that helped. The general store in town stored most of those and we traded for them. We managed."

Daniel asked, "Do you think things will be better this year?"

"Maybe," Jack said. "The sky is clearer than it was a year ago so we might do better. We'll know more when we get airborne and see what we're dealing with. Speaking of which, I want some of us to head for the Springs on Saturday. Does that sound good to you?"

Daniel and Sam nodded an affirmative.

Jack continued, "We might be there a few days so pack accordingly. We don't know what the situation is there so I plan us being very careful. I'm sure there will be survivors but we don't know if they're friendly. We'll take Zats and small arms but we'll keep them concealed. I don't want to scare people who have every right to be there." Jack paused, looked at them and said, "You both look good."

Daniel blushed a bit and smiled. "I have no complaints."

Jack just grinned and then said, "We'll leave at first light Saturday."

"Sounds good."

They heard thumping sounds from the porch and turned as one to greet Siler as he came in the back door.

"Vala's gone."

"What?" Jack stood and approached his friend. "When?"

"It must have been early on in the storm. I can't find any tracks. I stopped by her cabin to cut up the tree that fell across the path. The cabin is cold and the fireplace is clean. No ashes. Looks like she's been gone a few days. I didn't do a thorough search of the cabin. I figured you would want to."

Sam looked at Jack and said, "She might be injured. We need to get a search party together."

Jack looked at everyone and said, "I want to check her cabin first. If she decided to leave, she might have left a note."

"I'll go with you," Daniel said as he grabbed his coat. The three men got into the truck and Sam watched from the porch as they pulled away.

Cassie came to stand beside her and said, "She seemed upset the other night when you and Daniel came back from town. She was in the kitchen helping with dinner when the call came in that you two had tied the knot. Her face went all pale and I thought she was going to faint. But, then she took a deep breath and continued with her work. I saw her a few times that night and she seemed okay but every once in a while I noticed her staring at nothing. She looked a little bit off."

"It must have been quite a shock for her. She's had a thing for Daniel since they first met." Sam sighed. "I hope she's okay."

"Me too."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Chapter 20 - The Wolf at the Door

Jack's truck slowed down as it passed the barn. The plowed road ahead turned to the right and re-entered the forest on its way to the back of the settlement. The bare branches of the trees added to the gloomy atmosphere inside the truck cab. Within a few minutes, they were stopped at the entrance to the path that led to Valla's cabin. The twigs leading in were heavy with snow and the guys had to occasionally duck under thin, snow-covered branches. The men reached the door and entered, crowding the small one-room cabin.

Jack looked around and saw that the bed in the corner was made. The place was neat and clean and decorated nicely. He walked over to the fireplace and placed his hands on the back wall. "It's still a bit warm."

"How long, Jack?" Daniel wondered if anyone had bothered to ask Vala to stay at the dining hall. Was she still that much of an outsider?

Cam burst through the open doorway and said, "Any sign?"

"We know she was here yesterday." Jack turned to look at Cam. "Did she say anything to anyone about staying over at someone else's cabin?"

"Not to me," Cam said. "She didn't really say very much at all during the party."

Jack stood up and backed away from the fireplace." Let's look around outside to see if there's any sign." They all went out and slowly walked around to the back of the cabin. Standing behind the cabin, looking into the window, was a large snowman. It was actually a snow-woman that was decked out in a hot pink bra and a purple boa. Some filmy material was wrapped around the waist and it was frozen stiff with ice. "Well, I think we know who built that," Jack said as he shook his head and walked on.

Siler stood for a moment and looked toward the trees. "Looks like something broke a trail through the forest. Look at all the broken branches."

Daniel stepped carefully to the area where Siler was pointed to and said, "He's right. Look at this." He pointed to the small, low growing bare branches that were broken and hanging towards the ground. As he gazed into the trees, he could easily make out a path through the snow. His mouth was dry as he tried to imagine what terror she must have felt as she tried to make her escape. He knew Vala probably better than most of the people in the settlement and admired her bravery and cunning but this would un-nerve even her. He looked around and noticed the sun shining on something purple hanging from a tree. "Jack, what is that?" He pointed towards it and watched as Jack stopped to look at it.

"It's a mitten. Is this one of hers?" Jack looked back to the others.

Cam nodded and said, "My mom made the pair for her. I'm guess she's leaving us a trail."

Jack looked again at the ground and the broken branches and said, "She went through here." He stepped forwards and followed the path.

Jack's radio came to life with some static and they heard Carolyn asking for an update. Jack filled her in and let her know which direction they were headed.

"I'll leave the snowmobile at Valla's cabin and take your truck. I'll park behind the gardens and wait for an update," Carolyn said before signing off.

The men followed Jack for a few more minutes and then stopped. Jack raised his head and said, "Does anyone else hear that?"

Everyone stopped and listened. Far off in the distance, they could faintly hear dogs barking. It was hard to tell which direction it was coming from. Jack called Carolyn and asked her to stop and listen. She radioed back that she couldn't hear anything. Jack turned towards the right and looked for the trail. There it was, veering off towards a heavy thicket of dense forest. "That way."

The men turned and carefully walked about thirty yards and then stopped. The barking was definitely louder and the men picked up their pace. Soon, they were in the heaver timber and calling out to Vala.

What happened next was terrifying for them all. Four large dogs and three smaller ones came crashing through the trees in the distance and they were headed straight for the men. The four largest ones came directly towards Lou, who was off to the right. He pulled out his and started firing. Jack pulled his gun out and started firing towards one that had circled towards the left. The dog leapt through the air and would have landed on him if Siler hadn't pulled Jack to the right. Siler turned to take another swing and tripped, going down with a loud thud.

Cam grabbed a large wooden branch and took a swing at one of the smaller dogs. He missed but the dog jumped back and turned towards Lou. Lou fired and hit the dog square in the side. It went down and Lou turned towards another large dog that jumped over a fallen log and came straight at him. Jack shot that one and it fell lifeless.

Daniel had stepped back behind a tree and was looking forward to where the dogs had come from. He was hoping that he would find Vala sitting up in a tree waving at him but he didn't see her anywhere. He knew she was out there but where? '_Please God, help us find her.'_ Daniel didn't pray much and he couldn't say he was a particularly religious man, despite having dealt with false gods over the last few years, but at the moment, it felt like the right thing to do.

Soon, it was over and seven dogs lay dead in the snow. At once, the men started yelling and ran down the very obvious path the dogs had made through the trees. After they had spread out and started calling to her. Siler limped along quietly and watched as Jack raised his fist and the men grew silent. They stopped to listen, hoping they would hear her call to them. They heard her clearly calling out, "Yoo Hoo! It's about time you showed up! I've been sitting here all morning."

"There!" Cam shouted as he pointed up at a tree about fifteen yards away. He ran to the tree and stood looking up at her.

Vala was perched about twenty feet up, smiling and waving at the men.

"How did you get up there?" Cam asked as he watched her antics.

"You get a pack of wild dogs chase you and see what you can do! Oh my. If I'd known this would get all the good looking men in the settlement to come running, I would have done it sooner." She gazed around the group and spotted Daniel. "Daniel! What on earth are you doing here? I thought you were on your honeymoon, such as it is."

Daniel glared at here and said, "I was on my honeymoon until we found out you were missing. What happened?"

"Well, when the snow finally stopped, the moon came out and it was so beautiful outside that I decided to build a snow woman."

Jack grinned and said, "Yeah, we noticed."

Vala gave a huge smile and said, "You did? I must say I think I did a very good job of it, too. Anyway, while I was putting on the finishing touches, I heard a horrible growling sound and there, standing by the door, was a huge dog. I realized that I couldn't get back inside so I ran."

Cam stopped next to Daniel. "Can you climb down?"

"No. I pulled a muscle in my shoulder on my way up here and it's swollen. My arm is useless."

Daniel turned back towards Jack and rolled his eyes. "Of course it is."

Jack got on the radio and called Carolyn: "Caro, we're in the woods behind Valla's cabin. Can you drive to the back of those woods and beep the horn?"

"I'm on my way!" Carolyn turned from the back of the garden plot and followed a brush row along the field behind the woods. She stopped and beeped her horn and then waited.

"We can hear you!" Jack said into the radio. "We need the rope behind the front seat."

"I'll bring it." Carolyn shut off the engine and found the rope. She grabbed it and her medical bag and headed out along the brush row, listening periodically for any sound from the woods which would tell her where the group was. As she stood there, she saw Cam step out about twenty yards away and headed over to him. "What can you tell me about her condition?"

Cam gave her a hug and took the rope. "She's fine. It sounds like she tore a rotator-cuff so she's stuck up in a tree. We need to lower her down with a rope."

"Okay, I'll have to do a quick evaluation when we get her down." She followed Cam into the trees and he helped her as they went over large fallen logs and some good sized boulders. Soon, they were under the tree and Jack was partway up with the rope. He threw a section of it to Lou who had climbed up behind Vala. Lou wrapped it around Vala underneath her arms and tied it behind her. The others stood below the limb and watched as he slowly lowered her down toward them. Valla's non-stop banter about being tied up kept Jack grinning as she was eventually dropped into the waiting arms of the men.

They made their slow way to the truck. Vala rode in front with Jack and Carolyn and flipped the heat on full blast. The men piled into the back but Siler was limping. Cam asked him if he was okay. Siler said. "I tripped over a rock."

"Sure you did," Cam said and helped his friend up past the tail-gate. He saw Daniel trailing behind and shouted, "Come on!"

"I'll walk back. Thanks." Daniel wanted a few minutes alone. He hadn't had much time to himself since he and Sam had returned and though the last few days were great, he enjoyed the quiet of the woods.

0o0

Sam was out on the porch when Daniel approached. They went inside and she could see that he was angry. "What happened?"

"Oh, she's okay. She was stuck up a tree with a pack of dogs trying to make lunch out of her. We had to shoot all the dogs."

"I heard the shots," Sam said. "How many were there?"

"Seven, I think." He collapsed into the chair by the fire so Sam knelt in front of him to remove his snow-covered boots. Afterwards, she stood behind him and massaged his shoulders. He said, "Ya know, she seemed so cavalier about it all. Like it was no big deal that she was out there and that everyone was worried that she was missing."

"She's used to being on her own," Sam said. "It's probably not easy being here and having to rely on others for firewood, food and everything else. I'm sure she'd much rather be on her own."

"Well, no one's stopping her!"

"Daniel! How can you say that? Where would she go?"

"Away." He sat quietly for a few minutes while Sam continued her ministrations. He sighed heavily and then said, "You're right. She can't help it that she's stuck here and she's trying very hard to fit in."

"You were scared." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, we all were. I don't think she knows how much everyone likes her."

Sam sat down on Daniels lap and said, "She's typical of women who were abused when they were young. You know how her father left her and traveled most of the time. Girls get their feelings of self-worth from their fathers, mostly. She probably wondered if she was good enough, smart enough, pretty enough … all of that because her father wasn't around."

Daniel looked into her eyes and then leaned forward for a quick kiss. "You're very smart, Sam."

She smiled and said, "I understand where's she's coming from. Give her some time. She'll find her way. She always has." She leaned against his shoulder and they both watched the fire in the grate. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, do we have anything here or should be head over to the dining hall?"

"Let's go out. The hall is doing Italian tonight."

"Sounds good to me." They both readied themselves for the cold outdoors and headed out for their date.


End file.
